


I'll Be Right Over, Love

by FanfictionIsBetter



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Annoying Elena, BAMF Bonnie Bennett, Blood Drinking, Crack, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drinking, Drunken Shenanigans, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Humor, Mild Gore, Mild Sexual Content, No Humanity Elena Gilbert, Plot Twists, Randomness, Sexual Humor, Sexual Tension, Sleepovers, Weird Plot Shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-05
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-25 01:13:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 56,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4941025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanfictionIsBetter/pseuds/FanfictionIsBetter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Caroline doesn't want to be home alone when Silas is terrorizing everyone. So what happens when she asks a certain Original Hybrid to keep her company? Set after 4x18 before the prom.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Astounding Klaus Mikaelson

I was lying on my stomach on my bed.

_Come on, Care, just focus!_

I was supposed to be planning a prom.

_What was that sound?_

My mom was working a double shift.

_Was that a stick breaking?_

I was all alone for the night.

_Is somebody outside?_

I shouldn’t be having any trouble concentrating.

_What if Silas is out there?_

I needed to call three different DJ’s.

_What would he even want from me?_

The decorations needed to be ordered by tomorrow.

_Does he even need to be invited in?_

Two baskets of dirty laundry were waiting for me.

_What if he comes in! Klaus couldn’t even fight him off, so how am I supposed to be able to protect myself?!_

I felt my chest heaving as my eyes flickered nervously towards the window.

_Calm down, Caroline. It’s probably just the wind… Or a 2,000 year old vampire with a disfigured face. Great._

“Ugh!” I growled in frustration, pushing the notebook filled with prom details away from me. I huffed and picked up my cell phone, scrolling through the contacts and selecting Stefan’s name.

_Hey, you busy?_

I sent the text and bit my lip, waiting for his reply. Ten seconds later, my phone beeped. I frowned as I read the answer.

_If by ‘busy’ you mean “Are you currently preoccupied with trying to make your ex-girlfriend feel any emotion?” Then yes. Unfortunately, I am busy._

I typed back my reply.

_Ok. Good luck with that._

He responded with ‘thanks’.

Bonnie was next.

“Sorry Care, it’s just the whole thing with Jeremy is a lot to take in. I just don’t think I’d be good company right now,” Bonnie answered in a tired voice.

I felt a pang of sympathy.

“No, no, it’s ok, Bonnie. I understand. See ya’ later. Bye.”

I ended the call and groaned. There was no way I was bringing Matt into this mess, so I could forget about calling him. I also wasn’t going to the Salvatore’s to hear Damon’s remarks and see Stefan’s sadness as they tried to fix Elena.

I scrolled through the contact list one last time, saying ‘no’ out loud to each and every name. And then, a tragedy struck; because out of all the contacts in my phone, the only option left started with a K.

_Aw heck no!_

I glared at the name that brought up all the memories from today. The same name that made me roll my eyes at the mere thought of calling him.

When did I even get his number anyway?

“Okay,” I said slowly. “Maybe I should just text him.”

I typed out a simple ‘Hey’. That can’t do any harm, right?

My thumb hovered over the send button.

“No, Caroline,” I told myself. “Bad idea! Bad, Bad, BAD idea! Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t – “

A super creepy wind howled right outside my window.

“Oh, screw it!”

I pushed send and bit my lip, trying not to make any sudden movements (as if it would help the situation).

Who actually needs to breathe, right? Breathing means making _sounds_. And sounds mean being found. Yeah, I don’t think I really need to breathe…

Did I mention I’m all alone?

I shrieked as my phone beeped and Klaus’s name appeared on the screen. Taking a calming breath, I opened the text.

_Hello, friend. To what do I owe the pleasure?_

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face. _Of course_ he would hold the _friend_ thing over me. He wouldn’t let that go for centuries…

Or longer.

I quickly answered.

_I think it’s about to storm. Or Silas is lurking outside. Either way, something is making creepy sounds and I’m kind of alone._

His reply took a little bit longer this time.

_What are you saying, Caroline?_

I groaned. And _of course_ he’d do that. He just _had_ to make me ask for it.

Well alrighty then.

_Would you, the great and astounding Klaus Mikaelson, the Original Hybrid whose name makes the most powerful beings on earth shake at the knee with fear, please do me the incredibly stupendous honor of being the body I cower behind tonight?_

I sent the message with a smug grin. Caroline Forbes doesn’t back down from a challenge.

The phone beeped.

_Why Miss Forbes, are you flirting with me?_

I snorted, ready to send back a neon sign with the word “NO” flashing on it, but then stopped and got a crazy idea.

Two could play this game.

With a smirk, my thumbs typed away.

_Mmm Klaus, you caught me. I just can’t hide it any longer. Especially ever since I saw you today without a shirt and covered in sweat. You have no idea how hot that got me. I wanted to shove you against the wall and lick every single one of those drops off of your skin. Then I wanted to throw you on top of the piano and have my dirty way with you. I bet you’d like that, wouldn’t you, Klaus?_

I pressed send and laughed, wishing I could see the look on his face.

                                                                                              

**Meanwhile in the Mikaelson mansion**

 

Klaus sat on the leather couch in the same room he and Caroline had been in earlier that day. He read the text message and quite literally did a double take and almost passed out. His jaw dropped. His tongue went dry. He couldn’t tell if his eyes rolled back into his head or he was just picturing the scene all too well. Was it just him or was it suddenly very hot in here? A shiver traveled up his spine as he looked up and gazed at the piano. He’d never be able to get within a mile of that thing without needing a cold shower afterwards. And the wall suddenly looked like so much more than just bricks. It looked like _paradise_.

“Nik, what on earth are you drooling over?” Rebekah’s voice caused Klaus’s head to snap around. His mouth opened and closed several times, but he simply couldn’t find any words. Rebekah raised her eyebrows at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and walking away. “Men,” she muttered.

* * *

 

It took nearly two minutes before Klaus replied.

_You’re all talk and no action, love. Prove it._

I snorted and replied quickly.

_And then POW! You woke up and realized you were just kissing your pillow._

I didn’t care how childish I sounded.

_If I’m to assume correctly, love, it was your dream, not mine._

I grinned and answered.

_Admit it; that really played with your heart strings._

His reply was quick.

_You can play with my heart strings any day. ;)_

I burst out laughing and then rolled my eyes, sending my retort.

_So you admit that you actually have a heart?_

A few seconds passed.

Beep.

_Only for you._

I froze, staring at the screen in a daze, but then finally snapped out of it.

Dammit, why must he be like this?! One second he’s the big bad wolf, ripping out hearts and brutally slaughtering twelve of his hybrids, and then BAM! A sweet, charming gentleman who draws me pretty horses and gives me shiny things. I thought all those crazy hormones wore off when you get old?

 _Your bipolar tendencies are giving me whiplash,_ I shot back.

Beep.

_The feeling is quite mutual._

I didn’t get a chance to reply before my phone went off again.

_I’ll be right over, love._

I grinned victoriously. But the sound of a twig snapping outside the front door made me jump.

How had he gotten here so fast?

I shoved my phone into my pocket and flashed to the front door, opening it reluctantly. My eyes narrowed as I realized no one was there.

A bush rustled, catching my attention. I stepped outside to investigate.

“Klaus?” I called out, my voice shaking.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of strong arms from someone behind me wrap around my middle. One of their hands covered my mouth. Before I could blink, they had taken me back into the house and closed the door. As I realized what had happened, my fangs dropped and I bit their hand really hard.

They grunted in pain. I took the distraction to elbow them in the stomach with all of my strength. Air whooshed from their lungs. I quickly hooked my foot behind their ankle and swept their feet out from under them. They fell backwards and landed on the floor with a thud. I spun around and jumped on to my attacker, my knees on either side of their stomach and my hands pinning their arms to the floor. My vampire face had vanished, but I still growled only inches from their face.

I froze as I was met with a cocky smile and shining blue eyes.

“ _Klaus?!_ ” I shouted.

He was wearing a grey Henley with his necklaces tucked underneath and dark jeans. He laughed wholeheartedly, sending vibrations into me. I was reminded than of our rather _compromised_ position. I pushed myself away from him and stood up.

“What were you _doing_? I asked you to come over here so I would feel _safe_! Do you realize that I was about two seconds away from ripping your throat out?”

He stood up and brushed himself off, still laughing.

“It’s not _funny_! And how did you get here so fast?”

“I had been running since you sent a _very_ _suggestive_ message to me. I must admit, I didn’t know you had it in you.”

My mouth opened and closed several times.

“Yeah, well,” I stuttered. “Then I guess you don’t know me that well.”

He grinned.

“Well then, I suppose we have all night to change that. By the way,” he held up his hand, which had blood on it. “You’re very feisty and creative when you’re defending yourself.” He smirked at me. “I admire it.”

I stared at him in disbelief. “Well, you attacked me!”

“Actually, I think it was _you_ who attacked _me_. I only brought you inside.”

“I thought I was being kidnapped!” I shot back, shoving his shoulder playfully.

He grinned at me.

“Come on, love. You didn’t think I would’ve let that happen to you when I was on my way, did you?” He gave me a small pout and wide innocent eyes. (Yeah, because Klaus is sooo innocent, right?)

I huffed. “Just no more fake-kidnappings, got it?” I commanded, pointing a finger at him.

He smiled at me. “As you wish.”

I laughed, wondering if he had any clue what _The Princess Bride_ was.

“So,” I began with a shrug. “What d’ya wanna’ do?”

He grinned mischievously. “Well, that message you sent sounded like something we could – “

“No, Klaus. Just… _no_.”


	2. All Riled Up

_“So,” I began with a shrug. “What d’ya wanna’ do?”_

_He grinned mischievously. “Well, that message you sent sounded like something we could – “_

_“No, Klaus. Just… no.”_

Klaus raised both eyebrows at me and tried to hide his smile.

“ _No_? But you seemed so utterly _enthusiastic_ about it!” His playful gaze bore into mine.

I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t had fun messing with him like that.

“It was a _joke_!” I said defensively, waving my hands around. “I was just being mean by trying to get you riled up.”

The corner of his mouth turned up. He slowly walked towards me, stopping a foot away from me. I lifted my chin to stubbornly stare back at him.

“Well, then, _Miss Forbes_ ,” Klaus said sensually, “consider me quite _riled_.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me then, causing a laugh to escape from my lips. He seemed pleased by my reaction, smiling warmly.

“Hey, wipe that smile off your face, _Klaus_ ,” I retorted.

He raised both eyebrows in challenge. “Just _Klaus_? Now I thought for sure there was a _great_ and _astounding_ in there somewhere!”

I laughed and shoved his shoulder.

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?” I asked, wincing.

He smirked. “Oh, I‘m going to frame it and put it on my wall, love.”

I shoved him again with another laugh.

“Oh, come on! If anyone else ever saw that – “

“Do not worry, Caroline,” he said with a reassuring smile. “Your dirty minded messages will be safe from prying eyes.”

The faint sound of a ghostly chuckle came from somewhere in the room. My eyes went wide with terror and my mouth popped open.

“Klaus…” I said shakily.

His eyebrows pulled together, a strange look coming over his face, as his eyes flickered around the room. He put a protective arm around me and pulled me tight against his side.

“You heard that, as well?” he asked. I nodded sharply. Klaus took a deep breath. “Well at least I know I’m not losing my sanity. I could’ve sworn that sounded like…”

He stopped himself and closed his eyes, letting out a heavy breath, and then finally shaking his thoughts away.

“What is it?” I asked, staring at him with concern. “Who did it sound like?”

His lips parted for a moment, but then closed again. His nostrils flared as a painful expression took over his face.

“No one who’s still around,” he explained in a hollow voice.

I watched the sadness fill his eyes and felt a pang of guilt in my stomach. The realization hit me that, especially after seeing Silas torture him, I didn’t like seeing him in pain.

_Don’t ask me why, ok!_

I shook my head to clear my thoughts and gave him a gentle smile.

“Well,” I began, “Why don’t we do something to take our minds off the vampire-warlock creeper?”

A tiny smile tugged at his lips.

“Well considering you didn’t like my idea of carrying out your dirty little fantasy,” I rolled my eyes, but he continued, “then I suppose _you_ should be the one to suggest an equally enjoyable activity to preoccupy our time.”

I tried to suppress my smile as I shook my head at him.

“Fine. Then I guess tonight will be the famous Klaus Mikaelson’s first movie night in his _very_ long life!”

He narrowed his eyes at me and cocked his head to the side. “And what makes you think I’ve never had a _movie night_ , as you call it?”

I raised my eyebrows and sent him a disapproving look.

His mouth formed a line. “Don’t answer that, love.”

I smirked, flashing into the living room and sitting on the floor in front of the TV cabinet. He quickly followed and sat down beside me. I opened the cabinet doors to reveal a few dozen DVD cases.

“I see you like movies,” he observed smugly. I rolled my eyes and pulled out a stack, quickly flipping through them. “I prefer live shows to be honest,” he added, “but I suppose that’s because I’m old-fashioned.”

I grinned.

“Yes. _Very_ old-fashioned.”

This time it was me who got the playful shove.

I grinned as a familiar DVD case caught my eye.

_Time to mess with him again._

“Hey!” I announced happily. “We should watch _Mean Girls_!”

Klaus looked up from the cases he held in his lap to notice me. He gave me a blank stare.

“I hope you’re joking, Caroline.”

I laughed and stuck the DVD back into the cabinet. A wicked thought entered my mind (Which seemed to be happening a lot tonight). How much torture could I put him through with a chick flick? Would he actually watch it just to keep me happy?

_Oh we are definitely going to find out._

I grabbed the movie that is the most feared by every guy in the world.

_The Notebook._

“Oooh, this one!” I told him with fake enthusiasm.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the movie (Of course I do because I’m a girl). I just wanted to make him think that I loved it to see how far I could push his buttons.

Klaus looked at the title and raised both eyebrows.

“The Notebook,” he read aloud, hesitating before going on. “That looks… very… what’s the word I’m looking for?”

“Intriguing? Epic?”

“Girly,” he said with distaste. Holding up one of the movies he held, he asked, “How about this one?” It was Robert Downey Jr.’s _Sherlock Holmes_.

I wrinkled my nose and shook my head, keeping up the act.

“No, I’m in the mood for something romantic,” I told him. His eyes lit up for a second and a grin came onto his face. His lips were already parting to say something when I held up my hand for him to stop. “Don’t,” I said, closing my eyes with disgust. “I mean _a movie_.”

Klaus sighed in defeat.

“Alright, then. I suppose two hours of torture can’t kill me.”

My eyes flew open in surprise.

“Really?” I asked with shock.

“Yes, for you,” he said, eyes boring into mine. “But you will tell no one, or else!”

I raised my eyebrows in challenge. “Or else _what_?”

He grinned mischievously and leaned straight towards me, turning his face at the last minute to hold his lips dangerously close to my ear.

His voice was low and raspy. “Or else I’ll do things to you that you’ll _never_ be able to stop thinking about.”

I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. A shiver of fireworks shot up my spine and exploded in every nerve ending in my body. My skin was tingling.

And am I sweating?

 _No!_ _Don’t let him get to you! You’re supposed to be the one who’s doing all the trickery! Conceal, don’t feel!_

I then gathered what remained of my strength and pride, which sadly wasn’t very much. I turned my head and let my lips almost touch his ear. The tip of my nose grazed his hair. Klaus froze and stopped breathing as I whispered in a low and sensual voice, “Good luck with that, sweetie.” His face went blank, eyes nearly black. “Now put in the movie while I go make popcorn,” I said, flashing away to the kitchen, leaving him as a confused, hot and bothered mess.

Cause’ I’m Caroline Forbes.

_Oh yeah._

* * *

 

I skipped into the living room with a big bowl of steaming popcorn in my arms and a proud smile on my face. Klaus was lounging comfortably on the couch, one arm slung over the back of it. He beamed as I plopped down beside him. I held up the bowl of popcorn and breathed in deeply, moaning because of the delicious smell. He raised an eyebrow at me and grinned. I turned my head away sheepishly, picking up the remote and pressing play.

Five minutes into the movie and Klaus was running a hand over his face with a disapproving groan.

“I knew it,” he said. “An unrealistic movie made for the sole purpose of causing women to swoon over the dramatically-told story of _love_. Where’s the gore? You know, the dismemberment and the impaling!”

“Ew!” I exclaimed, wrinkling my nose. “If you want to see _that_ happen, then go watch _Game of Thrones_.”

“A game over thrones?” he inquired, looking quite intrigued.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “It’s got blood and death and nudity. Sounds perfect for you!”

He grinned at me. “Have you watched it before?”             

“Some of it,” I said with a shrug. “I’m rooting for a blonde with _killer_ pets.”

Klaus raised an eyebrow at me but said nothing. I grabbed a big handful of popcorn and shoved it into my mouth. He watched me with amusement as I tried to chew. My cheeks were puffed out like a squirrel.

I stopped for a moment to offer him the bowl.

“ _Bid you wat tum_?” I asked around my mouthful of popcorn.

He chuckled and stuck his hand into the bowl, shoving a large amount of popcorn into his mouth just like I had done.

We looked at each other, trying desperately not to choke from laughing.

Then the movie got to the most awkward scene in the whole thing…

_The sex._

As Noah and Allie slowly stripped off their clothes, Klaus raised both eyebrows and gave me a knowing look.

“Ah, I see,” he began in a suggestive tone. “So _that’s_ the reason why you wanted to watch this film so badly.”

I glanced at him to roll my eyes, then turned my attention back to the screen. The scene progressed and I became completely engrossed in it, forgetting about Klaus sitting next to me.

“Well you seem to be breathing quite heavily, love,” he teased again.

I jumped a bit at the sound of his voice. He was watching me intently, eyes sparkling with mirth.

I stuttered through my words.

“I – I just… It’s a very… intense scene and I just… Well, you… Oh, just shut up!” I finally said.

He grinned and turned his attention back to the screen.

When the steamy scene was interrupted by Noah’s friend, Klaus threw his hands into the air.

“Oh, _come on_!” He declared. “It was just getting to the best part!”

I snorted.

“In all seriousness,” I said with a smirk, “that’s the same thing I said the first time I saw this.”

Klaus sighed dramatically and shook his head.

“Typical love story,” he said in a disappointed voice, “interrupted by the parents.”

* * *

 

I sighed as the movie ended and the end credits rolled down the screen.

“Ok, what now?” I asked out loud. I turned and saw Klaus pretending to be asleep. “Hey!” I said with a laugh, shoving him for good measure. He fought off a grin and kept his eyes closed, letting out an over exaggerated snore. I threw my head back and laughed. “Oh come on, it wasn’t _that_ bad!”

Klaus opened his eyes then to give me a look of disbelief. “Not that bad?” he repeated. “That was the definition of the modern term _chick flick_.”

I smiled. “But you didn’t run away like I thought you would.”

He shrugged. “It was worth seeing you smile.”

I rolled my eyes. _Him and his stupid compliments!_

“Ok, you gotta’ stop doing that,” I told him, trying not to laugh.

“Doing what, beautiful?” he asked innocently.

“That,” I said, motioning at him with my hands. “The endless compliments!”

Klaus grinned and adjusted his position so that he was facing my side. “Perhaps I enjoy giving you compliments.”

I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Well,” I replied, turning on the couch to face him. “I don’t understand why you like to so much.”

His eyes flickered between mine, like I was the most interesting thing he had ever seen.

“I don’t understand your contempt with my words, Caroline. I cannot possibly be the only one who tells you how spectacular you are.”

I huffed and crossed my arms over my chest.

“Sorry, but I’m not used to being showered with them every ten seconds.”

He smirked. “Well then, I guess that’s just too bad for you.”

I peered at him through narrowed eyes, then uncrossed my arms and turned on the couch to face him.

“Ok, so what about you?” I asked casually. “Do you like it when people give you compliments?”

“Depends on the person and the compliment, I suppose,” he said simply. “But overall, my answer would be a yes. I wasn’t exactly praised for doing good things when I was a child, so I guess that has something to do with it.”

I paused and watched him for a moment, contemplating my next question.

“What was it like?” I asked. He turned to look at me with a hint of surprise on his face, clearly taken off-guard. “Ya’ know, growing up a thousand years ago without cars or electricity. Or _showers_!”

He laughed wholeheartedly.

“It wasn’t the issue of hygiene that I remember,” Klaus answered in a low voice, his expression becoming distant. “My father was…” he trailed off, eyes flickering around the room as he tried to find the right word. “ _Malicious_. But all of his cruelty was aimed at no one but me. If one of my siblings got into trouble, my father would always find a way to blame it all on me. Elijah would try to stop him, but Mikael would simply yell threats at him and then continue on with me.”

My chest ached at his words. I found myself staring at him, feeling so much sorrow for the man who had nearly ruined all of our lives. It didn’t matter that this was Klaus – the immortal hybrid with a cocky attitude – because he had once been just an innocent, young boy who couldn’t understand why his father hated him. I felt my heart break, not for the merciless Original Hybrid, but for the boy who still lived inside of him. I just wanted to know what had happened that caused him to morph into what he was now.

“What did he _do_ to you?” I asked in a breathless whisper.

He seemed to come out of his daze for a moment to look at me with shock and curiosity; probably wondering why I even cared, or why I was still listening to him. He let out a deep breath.

“He beat me near to death every week, sometimes even more often. He tried drowning me once because I couldn’t catch any fish.”

My lips parted in horror and my eyebrows furrowed.

“How old were you then?” I asked hesitantly, worried about the answer I might receive.

“Five,” he stated, blinking at the wall. “But I still remember it quite clearly.”

I felt my eyes burn as I fought off tears. My heart throbbed and my blood boiled. In this moment, I didn’t even give a crap that I was having so many mood swings. What person in their right mind does that to _a child_?!

“How could he do that to a five year old boy?!” I exclaimed. “You were _a kid_! You didn’t do anything wrong!”

Klaus let out a shallow breath.                     

“In my father’s eyes, I was nothing but a failure,” he said, staring at the floor. “An embarrassment to be fixed.”

I shook my head and tried to push away the thoughts of an innocent kid getting beaten by his own father, but the images wouldn’t stop their assault.

_How did he live through all of that? No wonder he’s so messed up!_

_…_

_You know what, screw it! Some people just need a freaking hug._

I leaned towards him and gently wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my chin in the crook of his shoulder. Klaus froze and stopped breathing, his arms hesitating for a moment. But he eventually gave in and squeezed me closer.

“Caroline Forbes,” he teased, voice sounding a little hoarse. “What would your friends think if they saw you hugging their enemy?”

“I don’t care,” I found myself saying. “I’m hugging the human Klaus, not the hybrid.”

He sighed and gave me a squeeze. “You’re far too understanding for your age and much too forgiving of me, Caroline.”

I smiled, thankful that he couldn’t see my face.

“Good.”


	3. Conceal, Don't Feel

We eventually pulled away from each other, although Klaus was reluctant to.

“We seriously need some happy music now,” I informed him.

He simply raised an eyebrow and watched as I disappeared into my room and came back with my iPod. I walked over to the stereo system in the corner of the room, plugging in a few things, and then playing the first song that caught my attention.

When the beat started, I sauntered towards Klaus and gave him a grin, pulling on his wrist to yank him off the couch. He returned my smile and stood up in front of me, waiting to see what I would do.

_Come with me now._

_Come with me now._

I swayed my body to the beat and bobbed my head as the verse played, but Klaus simply stood still and watched me with a smile.

“Come on!” I urged with a laugh, pushing his shoulder and then putting more flare into my movements.

_Woah, come with me now!_

_I’m gonna take you down!_

He laughed and swayed with me, then reached out and took my hand, spinning me around and dancing enthusiastically.

“Somebody’s had some practice,” I said, laughing as he spun me out and then pulled me back in quickly.

“Oh I’ve had _centuries_ of practice, Caroline,” he replied with a wink, spinning me in a circle again.

_Woah, come with me now!_

_I’m gonna show you how!_

When he released my hand, I raised my arms above my head and stomped to the music, swaying my head and body side to side. Klaus’s hands somehow found their way on my hips.

And _please_ tell me who taught him how to dance like this…

I lost myself in the music, smiling and laughing throughout the song as we danced together. Every time I’d do an embarrassing dance move, Klaus would have a much funnier one to show me.

It felt like it had been months since I’d laughed so hard.

* * *

 

“No fair!” I whined. “You’re like a _bagillion_! You have _way_ more of a tolerance then I do!”

I set the empty glass on the counter and watched him from the opposite side.

“Very well,” Klaus said, drinking the last two inches of bourbon straight from the bottle. “Then I’ll drink twice as much as you did and we’ll call it even. Fair now?”

I shrugged. “A little.”

He laughed and set the bottle on the counter.

You’re probably wondering how we got into this situation. I swear, I can explain.

After we danced for a while, I got thirsty and decided to bring out the bourbon. But then one boast led to another, and well, here we are now.

“I should’ve known that I couldn’t outdrink you,” I said dejectedly, but then smiled as I realized I had spoken without slurring that time.

Klaus nodded in agreement, quickly becoming just as drunk as I was since he drank twice as much.

“So what shall we do now that we’ve been filled with strong drinks?” he asked, his voice beginning to sound drunk.

I grinned and pointed at the TV in the other room.

“To the living room!” I announced, jumping out of my seat and flashing away. Sadly, I stumbled four times on the way there. Klaus laughed, but he didn’t have much room to talk: he swayed quite a lot when he followed me. I plopped in front of the cabinet and searched for a movie.

“I hope you’re planning on playing a more suitable movie, love,” I heard him say from the couch behind me. “I think I need to rip off someone’s head with my teeth in order to restore my manliness.”

I rolled my eyes and quickly popped in a movie, then stood on firm legs.

I guess the alcohol was already wearing off. Such a pity.

As I turned around, I saw Klaus lounging across the small couch, his legs and feet taking up all the room.

“Hey!” I snapped. “Move _over_.”

“Aw come on, sweetheart! It would be much more comfortable for the both of us if you simply lay down next to me. Or on top of me. Whichever you’d prefer,” he said with a smug grin.

I guess the alcohol _hadn’t_ worn off of him.

I raised my eyebrows at him.

“I’d prefer to sit on your head and suffocate you.”

He grinned, eyes glinting with mischief. “That can be arranged.”

I rolled my eyes, picking up Klaus’s feet and sitting down, then letting them drop onto my lap. I looked at his shoes and wrinkled my nose in disgust.

“And if you’re gonna sit like this, you are _not_ wearing your nasty dirty shoes on my mom’s _clean_ couch,” I snapped.

“Feel free to take them off, then,” he challenged while wiggling his feet and smirking.

I sent a glare at him, rolled my eyes, then roughly pulled his boots off his feet and flung them across the room.

“ _There_ ,” I said sarcastically. “Happy?”

He fake pouted and answered, “ _No_. You won’t lie down with me.” His bottom lip stuck out and his eyes grew wide and innocent.

I raised my eyebrows at him. “You’re _serious_?” I asked with exasperation.

He shrugged. “It’s a large couch. And I’m cold.”

I gave him a doubtful glare. “Vampires don’t get cold,” I answered.

His lip stuck out farther. “Sad ones do.”

I laughed once.

“You are so drunk right now,” I told him.

“Yeeep,” he replied, popping the ‘p’ and giving me a goofy smile.

I stared at him, contemplating in my head if this was as bad of an idea as I thought it would be. But his mock puppy dog eyes made me crack, and I threw my hands up into the air in surrender.

“Alright! Fine!” I declared and huffed loudly.

His eyes widened slightly in shock before one of his rare genuine smiles took over his features.

“But NO funny business!” I continued. “And no telling _anyone_! Especially not _Damon_ ,” I said his name with distaste. “I’d never hear the end of his dumb jokes and saying stuff like ‘lay with dogs and you get fleas’.”

Klaus’s eyes sparkled with mischief and he still smiled widely as I got out from under his feet. He turned onto his side and scooted his back against the couch, giving me enough room to lie down on my side in front of him. He quickly grabbed a pillow and put it underneath our heads, then pushed play on the TV remote.

I glanced back at him for a second, seeing his large smile still in place. He gazed at me with nothing but drunken happiness, which made me huff.

_Why did he have to be so… dare I say, cute?_

I felt something heavy and very warm wrap around my waist, causing me to gasp. Klaus chuckled and gently pulled my back snug against his stomach.

I could feel every one of the hard muscles in his arm and stomach, flexing and moving as he tried to pull me closer.

_I wonder what it would feel like if my legs were wrapped around -_

NO! I am NOT having dirty thoughts about Klaus, I am not having dirty thoughts about Klaus, I am not having dirty thoughts about -

Just then, I felt his warm breath ghost across my neck. I shivered.

Oh he was SO doing that on purpose.

I heard him chuckle.

“Am I making you _hot and bothered_ , love?” he asked all too innocently.

I realized that his low voice was less than an inch from my ear. I could feel the vibrations as he spoke, and they were doing _things_ to me.

I gulped.

“No,” I couldn’t have sounded less convincing, unless I was actually looking at him. “I’m just, I don’t know, cold, or something.”

Klaus chuckled again, this time into my hair, and then whispered huskily:

“Vampires don’t get cold, love.”

Great. Now my words are being used against me.

Instead of answering, I leaned forward and tried to put a little space between us. I instantly regretted it when he pulled me back again (even more firmly then before) and turned the _flirting_ into full-blown-sexy-seduction.

His lips touched my ear as he growled out, “And where do you think you’re going?”

When his mouth then grazed across my earlobe, I barley refrained from gasping. When he softly kissed the shell of my ear, I had to bite my lip so I wouldn’t groan. Then, when he slowly dragged his nose down my neck and across my collar bone, I tasted blood on my own tongue.

“Your scent is extraordinary, Caroline,” he said in a rough voice.

Oh someone please help me.

_Conceal, don’t feel!_

I wanted to hit him over the head and tell him that I would never fall for his stupid flirtatious tricks. I wanted to get as far away from his as I possibly could; away from his captivating voice, his hypnotizing eyes, his warm skin, his dimpled smirk, his soft touch…

Heck, I needed a cold shower. I’d stand up and run, but I’m pretty sure my knees will just collapse and then he’ll carry me.

Or even worse: I’d be able to run, and he’d chase me and catch me and then _punish_ me and -

_Sweet guacamole salad, please just stop before my brain explodes!_

I felt his lips graze across my shoulder, the stubble on his face tickling my arms. My eyes slid closed and I bit my lip.

And then he pulled away and chuckled.

“No allure to darkness, hmm?” he teased.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding and scoffed.

“You’re maddening.”

“And apparently you like _mad_ ,” he said, letting his warm breath blow across my neck again. I tensed up and tried to pay attention as the movie started.

“The Avengers,” Klaus observed. “I’ve heard many things about this.” He glanced at my captivated expression. “Who is your favorite?”

“Loki,” I answered without hesitation.

“No!” I heard him gasp dramatically behind me. “The villain?!”

“He’s misunderstood!” I shot back.

“He tried to destroy an entire planet.”

“To impress his father!”

“That’s hardly a good excuse,” Klaus said, narrowing his eyes at me.

“He’s been through a lot,” I argued. “He learned that his terrible father isn’t actually his real father, and at the same time he’s dealing with the fact that he’s a different species! His entire life has been nothing but a lie! And in addition to that, he’s been so hurt by his family that now he won’t trust anyone. It doesn’t help that he’s got too much pride to make amends.”

I froze, my eyes growing wide as a realization hit me. I turned my head to look at him.

“You’re Loki! You’re just like him, you could be his – “ I stopped and looked him up and down. “ _Please_ don’t tell me you have a freakin’ doppelgänger.”

“Of course not,” he answered with a chuckle. “At least I bloody hope not. Although I will admit, the similarities are quite peculiar. Perhaps I’ll attempt to take over the world.”

I snorted. “Yeah, not gonna happen.”

“ _Kneel_ ,” he growled into my ear.

“Nope, not a chance,” I answered, staring directly at the TV screen.

Klaus was silent for a moment as I watched Loki.

“Hm,” he observed. “You’d kneel for him, wouldn’t you.”

“I would drop so fast, my kneecaps would break,” I answered dreamily.

I heard and felt Klaus laugh.

“Is that so?” he inquired. “And if I happened to dress as him and give you commands, would you follow them?”

“Nope,” I answered, popping the ‘p’.

Klaus sighed. “Well it was worth a shot.”

* * *

 

Two hours later, as the credits rolled across the screen, Klaus questioned me further.

“So you’re saying,” he began, eyebrows pulled together, “that out of all the characters in that movie, the villain is your favorite.”

I pursed my lips and contemplated my answer.

“Not exactly,” I told him. “Don’t get me wrong, I love all the superheroes. It’s just that I also happen to love the villain and kind of root for him occasionally…”

Klaus’s eyebrows shot up and he smirked.

“Oh, you root for him as well as gawk at him?”

I laughed and shoved his shoulder.

“I was not gawking!”

He shot me a disbelieving look. “I may not be an expert in the aspects of love, sweetheart, but I know that look when I see it. Don’t forget that I’ve spent my entire life living with Rebekah.”

I shook my head and laughed.

“What _look_?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him defiantly.

He raised his eyebrows in return.

“Oh you know exactly what I’m talking about, love.”

I raised both eyebrows at him.

“Seriously?” I shout back. “And when did you suddenly decide to become a mind reader?”

A smile slowly grew on his face.

“A ha!” Klaus said, pointing his index finger at me. “So you do admit that you have _the look_.”

I scoffed.

“Uh, no, I most certainly did not. Now if you’ll _excuse_ _me_ ,” I wiggled out of his grasp and stood up, scooping up our empty dishes and taking them into the kitchen. I piled them into the sink and rested my hands against the counter, staring out the window at the star-lit sky.

In the same instance that I felt warmth behind me, Klaus’s lips were extremely close to my ear.

“What ever shall we do now?” he whispered in a low voice.

I glanced down as his hands came to rest beside mine.

_Well he’s getting rather cozy…_

“Uh, definitely not what _you’re_ thinking about,” I answered, turning around to grin at him as I crossed my arms over my chest. Klaus kept his hands flat on the counter by my sides, effectively blocking me in.

His eyebrows lifted as he feigned a hurt expression, eyes widening innocently. “And what do you presume I am thinking about?” he dared me.

I hesitated too long.

“Surely you do not believe my mind is clouded with _naughty_ _ideas_ ,” he teased, a wicked grin lighting up his face. “Or perhaps it isn’t _my_ mind that is clouded… _Caroline_ ,” he scolded mockingly, his breath tickling my face, “what twisted thoughts are racing through that innocent head of yours?”

My mouth opened then closed as I tried to come up with an answer. It wasn’t like I was thinking of X-rated things, but he was right: my brain was coming up with some pretty twisted stuff right about now. _Naughty ideas_ , as he put it.

And _wow_ , my brain really dove into the gutter when his voice sounded like _that_. I took a calming breath as he waited for my answer.

Ya’ know what, why not turn the tables on him? Maybe I can make Mister Confident break a sweat.

His arms still caged me in, so I raised a hand to graze my index finger across the back of his hand. His thumb twitched.

“ _Actually_ ,” I began, my voice surprising me with its raspy tone, “I’m not nearly as innocent as you think I am.” I leaned closer towards him, my eyes flickering up. His light blue eyes were now just a sliver of dark blue around his dilated pupils. I gave him a crooked smile and leaned impossibly closer to his lips, murmuring seductively, “You wouldn’t believe the naughty thoughts I have.”

I lifted my gaze from his lips to his eyes and gave him (what I hoped was) a sexy look. He stared at me with wonder, his lips parted. I spun on my heel and strutted towards the living room with a huge grin.

I just made Klaus Mikaelson speechless.


	4. Hybrid Urges

Klaus’s POV

Her words repeated over and over again in my head, worse than five hunter’s curses: _“I’m not nearly as innocent as you think I am.”_

I could think of a thousand responses to that particular statement, the first one being ‘ _prove_ _it’_. Surely she must realize how utterly insane her tempting words make me. But her words were not even the most impactful factor of our encounter. I had felt her warm breath on my skin as she leaned towards me, and had inhaled the accompanying scent that was distinctly _Caroline_. That deadly scent never failed to make my mouth water and my dead heart pulse erratically.

_“You wouldn’t believe the naughty thoughts I have.”_

I was certainly not going to waste such a perfect opportunity to make Caroline more hot and bothered than she had made me.

Smiling to myself for a moment, I could’ve laughed at how ridiculous I currently felt. The Original Hybrid stammering and speechless over a girl.

I heard Caroline come out of the bathroom and quickly put on a blank expression. She hesitated for a moment to close its door. I took advantage of her pause, quickly flashing to her side. She jumped away from me for a moment, pulling her hand off the brass door knob.

“Klaus!” she exclaimed, letting out a huff. “You – ,“ I moved so that I was only a few inches in front of her face, “scared – “ Caroline hesitated, sounding confused. I placed my hands against the wall on either side of her shoulders and leaned closer towards her. She retreated until her back pressed against the bathroom door. I pressed closer still, leaving only a few inches between us. “Scared me,” Caroline finished in a quiet, breathless voice. She glanced sideways at my arms, suddenly realizing she was trapped. “You scared me,” she muttered again.

I grinned and leaned closer, staring at her parted lips.

“Well it’s only fair, love,” I murmured, glancing up at her widened eyes. “You _excited_ me.”

She let out an unsteady breath.

“Did I?” she asked in a quiet but sarcastic tone, seeming to gain some of her composure.

_I aim to change that._

“Indeed you did,” I answered smoothly. “In fact, I’d dare to be so bold as to say that exciting me was your intent.”

Caroline grinned despite her obvious discomfort. “Oh, really now?”

I hummed in response.

“And what if it wasn’t my intent?” she inquired, raising both eyebrows and staring at me determinedly.

I let out a low chuckle.

“Then I would suggest altering your choice of conversation with whomever you speak with,” I said with equal determination. “That is, unless of course you wish to make them extremely flustered.”

She considered my words for moment before giving me a small grin.

“ _Extremely_ _flustered_?” she teased in a low voice. “Is that how I made you feel?”

I’m sure my eyes darkened at that.

“It’s not really the feelings you provoked, but more my imagination,” I stated carefully.

Caroline raised both perfect eyebrows and tried to hide her smile.

“Oh?” she inquired. “And what did I make you imagine?”

I grinned like a mad man. She must be feeling quite _mischievous_ tonight.

_Very well, then._

“You made me imagine many things, sweet, _innocent_ Caroline,” I admitted cheekily. “But by what you revealed of your thoughts, I suppose you’re not as innocent as I thought you were.” I leaned closer to her lips, causing her to stop breathing. I quickly turned my head, my lips barely hovering over her ear. “Do you wish to know what I wanted to do in that moment?”

She exhaled shakily, her head nodding only a fraction of an inch. I grinned wickedly and removed one of my hands from the wall to run my fingers through her hair, pulling it out of the way so I could brush my lips over her ear.

“I wanted to wrap my arms around you so tightly that you could not escape, much like you cannot escape now,” I murmured huskily. “I wanted to pull your body against mine so that I could feel every curve. I wanted to run my fingers through your hair,” I grazed my nails along her scalp, making her breath hitch, “and then tilt back your head,” my fingers tangled through her hair and tugged back, making her release another stuttering breath. I tilted my head, my lips nearly touching her carotid artery. “I wanted to kiss you here,” I said, grazing my finger across the pulse in her neck, “then trail my lips across your clavicle until I stopped above your heart.” I lowered my head, my warm breath blowing across her skin. Caroline audibly swallowed. “I wanted to listen to your heart pound, and then grab you by the waist and pull you against me. I’d kiss you in such a way that you’d be shaking and begging me to hold you closer. And when you did beg, I would kiss every inch of your skin until you could only speak my name.”

She exhaled shakily. “And if I told you to stop?”

I raised my eyebrows in amusement. “I highly doubt you would have the strength to ask that. But if you did, I would rest my forehead against yours,” I said, leaning closer until our gazes were only a few inches apart, “and I would tell you that your eyes are more spellbinding than the most powerful magic any witch has used on me.”

Her lips parted then, drawing my attention back to them. I fought off a smile and ran my thumb across her cheek. “It’s rare that someone renders me dumbstruck,” I admitted. “And yet you’ve managed to do that with a few taunting words. You’re quite unique, Caroline.”

She considered my words for a moment, attempting to slow her erratic breathing.

“Is that why you like me so much?” she retorted.

I smiled fondly at her.

“I like you ferocity. Your pride. Your bravery. You’ve quarreled with me and insulted me far beyond what I’d allow anyone else to live with. My name makes all supernatural creatures shiver in fear, and yet you could not care any less. I don’t scare you.”

“Nope,” she shot back, popping the ‘p’. The blush on her cheeks was slowly beginning to fade. “But Silas does, which is the reason why I asked you to come here. Now if you’ll excuse me,” she said, raising her eyebrows defiantly as she knocked my left arm out of the way, “I’m going to go be bored somewhere else.”

She pranced away, leaving me frozen yet again.

She was ridiculously _perfect_.

* * *

 

Caroline’s POV

I was sitting on the couch flipping through the channels when Klaus joined me a few moments later. Turning to smirk at him, I raised both eyebrows teasingly.

“Look, I know you’re having a lot of difficulty controlling your hybrid urges – “ I began.

“Hybrid urges?” he repeated in amusement. “If my memory serves me correctly, I’d say that at time you were rather fond of certain hybrid urges and in fact wished said-urges would be fulfilled with utmost vigor.”

I groaned and winced. “You’re still bringing up that?”

His laugh echoed through the room. “My brain may be crammed with a thousand years’ worth of memories, but it will never be too crowded to recall the time I was _an innocent victim_.”

I let out a laugh. “That was disgusting.”

“ _You_ attacked _me_ , remember,” he answered happily.

“No, I attacked _Tyler_ ,” I corrected, “who I thought had just saved me from certain torture and death.”

“But it was not in fact Tyler who saved you from certain torture and death,” Klaus reminded me, “which actually means… you owe me.”

I snorted. “No way. I didn’t ask you to save me; you did that on your own.”

Klaus sighed. “Alright, fair enough. Although since I could only save you and left my sister, she was rather upset with me afterwards. So you still sort of owe me.”

I raised my eyebrows defiantly.

Klaus smiled widely and offered his hand. “Perhaps you could demonstrate your gratitude by allowing me to dance with you again?” he suggested.

I stared at his hand hesitantly, then looked back up to see his tempting smile. I uncrossed my arms, gave him a grin of my own, and then took his hand.

I’m dancing with the devil.

* * *

 

Klaus’s POV

I was sprawled out on the couch four songs later when Caroline’s muffled grumbling brought me into the kitchen. I paused as I entered and saw her with the refrigerator door wide open, her head inside of it as she looked for something and continued grumbling.

I cocked my head and asked, “What are you searching for, love?”

She slammed the door shut and huffed. “There’s not a single blood bag left. I thought I still had a bunch.”

I grinned and answered nonchalantly, “Well, there is an entire town outside, just waiting for some very destructive and crazed vampires to come looking for fun and fresh blood.”

She rolled her eyes. “Um, no! Not happening. I don’t feel like going out, anyway. I’ll just wait until the morning,” she said, her bottom lip in a pout.

Oh, how I wanted to take that tantalizing lip between my teeth.

“Well, we could always order take-out,” I answered with a grin. “I’m sure the pizza delivery boy would be more than willing to let an angel like you drain him dry. You wouldn’t even have to use compulsion; just flirt a bit,” I said with a grin.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, sure, let’s eat the delivery guy! While we’re at it, why don’t we get matching coffins and carve our names into them. Then we can adopt a pet bat. Ooh, and then we can sharpen our fangs!”

I shrugged. “The last one’s actually not a bad idea.”

She rolled her eyes while I smiled innocently.

“Ya’ know, I thought being a vampire would prevent me from ever getting bored. Guess I was wrong,” Caroline thought aloud.

My expression turned doubtful. “Vampirism is dangerous, secretive, powerful, shameful, difficult, and exhilarating all at once, Caroline. Being the most powerful species on Earth is far from boring. You just need to know how to spend your time.”

“And what are your suggestions?” she challenged. “And be serious.”

“I’ve already offered to show the world, love,” I answered with a sigh. “I’m not sure what else you want me to say.”

She let out a frustrated groan. “I don’t know. I just…” she paused, hewing her lower lip. “I didn’t choose this, ya’ know? But it’s weird because I’d be miserable if I wasn’t a vampire. It’s changed me so much.” She hesitated. “You were right, you know. I like being strong and ageless and fearless. I hate the craving for blood part, but I’d never want to be human again. I love being a vampire and I also hate it.”

“I know the feeling,” I admitted after a moment of silence.

She snorted. “Yeah, except you’re a hybrid who can walk around without a daylight ring.”

“But I can also be burned by wolfs bane,” I added.

“True,” Caroline said through a yawn. “Hey, have you ever seen a Disney movie?”

I chuckled, knowing exactly where she was going with this conversation.

“I can’t say I have, love.”

She grinned widely and bounced towards the living room. “Well we’re about to change that.”

* * *

 

An hour later, after witnessing a cartoon candle come to life and sing about food, Caroline was passed out on the opposite side of the couch, curled into a ball with her hand under her head. I’d never seen anything so adorable.

I picked her up bridal style and carried her into her bedroom, pulling back the covers and gently laying her down underneath them. I reluctantly released her waist and pulled the blankets over her body. Her lips were pouting a bit, her expression one of complete tranquil.

“Goodnight, sweet Caroline,” I murmured as I brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. I glanced over her one last time before making my way towards the hallway.

“Hey,” Caroline’s quiet, sleepy voice brought my feet to a halt. I craned my neck to see her lying on her side towards me, her eyes halfway closed. “You could stay in here with me. Ya’ know, if you’re worried Silas might bust through the front door while you’re sleeping on the couch or something.”

I hid my smile as I walked back into the room and sat in a chair opposite of her bed. Caroline frowned at me, causing my blank expression to crack for a moment.

“I meant you could, like, share the bed with me, or something,” she stuttered. “There’s plenty of room.”

I gave up on acting oblivious and grinned like a fool as I stood and sauntered towards her, my eyes never leaving hers. I lifted the blankets and slipped underneath of them, rolling onto my side to face Caroline.

She grinned. “I always knew you were secretly a wuss.”

I let out a laugh and felt her giggle in response. “Ah, yes, of course. You are the first to discover my only weakness.”

“Wrong,” she shot back, letting her eyes slide shut. “I know your other weakness, too.”

I cocked an eyebrow despite knowing she couldn’t see my expression. “Oh really?”

She hummed and nodded.

“And what would that be?” I asked, taking the bait for what I was sure would be a joke. But she surprised me when the corner of her lip turned up and she answered in a soft voice:

“Me.”


	5. Quite The Tease

I opened half an eye, but quickly shut it when the sun practically blinded me. I groaned and squeezed the pillow next to me tighter. Suddenly I heard someone breathe above my head.

My eyes snapped open, ignoring the bright sun. All the memories of last night came rushing back into my mind. I looked at the pillow I was holding. At least I had _thought_ it was a pillow.

I was on my left side with my right arm draped across Klaus’s stomach, my palm against his chest. My head was lying on his collarbone. Klaus was on his back, his right arm wrapped around my middle with his fingers splayed out across my hip. I could’ve sworn that he was trying to pull me even closer to him.

I slowly lifted my head, seeing that his eyes were still closed and his breathing was even. The light shining through my window made the never-before-seen highlights in his curly blonde hair appear. The matching blonde stubble across his cheeks and chin seemed to glisten in the sun. His expression was calm, all the muscles relaxed, and his long black eyelashes became more noticeable lying against his unblemished skin.

And then my eyes went lower, dropping to stare at his full, pouting lips. It made him look like a child who hadn’t gotten what they wanted.

I froze for a moment as I remembered who I was staring at. The annoying voice in the back of my head asked, “ _And what about Tyler?_ ”

I pursed my lips like I had tasted something sour.

Tyler was gone. He’d proved countless time that he’d rather have revenge and a pack of wolves than me. I decided quickly that it was time I did something for myself and stopped listening to the annoying voice that always considered _Tyler_. It was time to consider myself for a change.

But there was another voice in my head that justified my attraction to Klaus. It repeated Stefan’s voice saying ‘ _We’ve killed lots of people, too. How are we any better than he is?_ ” Stefan had an eye-opening point. How are we any better? The true answer is that we aren’t. If I had been alive for a thousand years with a family as screwed up as his, I doubt I would’ve turned out much differently. Everyone seemed to forgive Damon easily when the truth of the matter is Damon may be worse than the Original Hybrid.

I looked at Klaus’s face again and smiled. _Yup, definitely much worse_. Even if Damon hadn’t done most of the terrible things he was known for, he still wouldn’t be able to beat Klaus’s angelic looks. _An angel’s face with the devil’s smile._

I grinned at my analogy and looked at his inviting lips again.

_Wait, did I just say – ?_

Nope. Not even going there.

But controlling my thoughts was the last thing in my mind while I was lying on a sleeping Klaus.

_A very sexy sleeping Klaus._

I winced at the direction my thoughts were heading and decided to distract myself. Slowly lifting my hand from his chest, I grazed the tip of my index finger across the stubble on his cheek. The muscle beneath my finger twitched and Klaus began to stir. I bit my lip to keep from smiling as he let out a soft groan, his eyebrows pulling together. But after a few moments, he was asleep again. I ran my finger across the same spot, mimicking the touch of a feather. This time, Klaus’s entire head twitched away from me and he groaned louder.

“ _Bekah_ ,” he growled in a gravely, sleepy voice, “you’re being annoying again, sister.”

I grinned and put my lips next to his ear, whispering in a terrible British accent, “That’s not very nice, _love_.”

Klaus’s eyes snapped open, wide as saucers, in the same moment that his entire body jumped a bit. His confused gaze flickered from my arm around him, to his arm wrapped around me, and then back up to my face.

“Caroline?” he mumbled, his expression contorting with confusion for a moment. Recognition quickly flickered across his face, bringing with it a cocky smirk.

“So,” he drawled out in that alluring, sleepy voice, “now that you’ve had an entire night to hypothesize, which is more comfortable to lay on: your bed or my body?”

I snorted and gave him a look of disbelief. “Wow, smooth.”

He grinned and gestured towards himself. “Feel free to see if I am _smooth_.”

I rolled my eyes and pretended to make a gagging sound as I pulled away from him.

“You didn’t have to retreat, sweetheart,” he continued, his voice becoming clearer but still lacing with allure. “I know that you’re attracted to me. You don’t have to be ashamed of anything.”

I let out a nervous laugh. “I am _not_ ashamed.”

“So you do admit that you’re attracted to me?”

I raised my eyebrows incredulously at him, the corner of my mouth turning up in a disbelieving smirk. Before I could tell him how full of himself he was, a mischievous smile found its way to my lips. If he wanted to play games, then so be it.

Klaus was too busy staring at the ceiling with a proud grin to notice me crawl close to him again. That cocky facade wouldn’t stay there for long.

“Oh Klaus,” I said, feigning a sigh, “You’re just _so_ smart and handsome that I just couldn’t hide it any longer. And now that you’re in my bed, I can’t stop thinking about all the fantasies I have of you. I don’t know if I can control myself.”

Much to my dismay, his smile grew and he didn’t even spare me a glance. I frowned and decided I’d have to kick it up a notch.

I leaned closer, my lips an inch from his neck, and let my breath blow across his pulse point. “I can smell your blood,” I murmured, making a show of inhaling the scent on his neck. He stiffened instantly and stopped breathing.

“You know how hungry I was last night and how I don’t feed on humans?” I continued, dropping my voice to a whisper as I said, “Well maybe you can persuade me to find someone who’s a little more _pleased_ with getting bitten.”

The next thing I knew, Klaus was hovering over me, pinning my arms above my head and staring at me with dark eyes. I could feel the heat radiating from his stomach and could hear nothing but hot blood rushing to my ears and the loud thudding of our heartbeats. Klaus’s breath fanned across my skin, his half lidded eyes scanning my face. He was poised like a lion, and stared at me with a hunger that made me realize I was his prey.

“Oh you are _quite_ the tease, aren’t you Caroline?” he whispered dangerously close to my ear. The corner of his mouth slowly twisted up, revealing a dimple. “And despite me being a thousand years old, you’ve managed to make me nearly lose control half a dozen times in the course of twelve hours. Why do you think that is, love?”

I breathed shallowly for a few moments before smiling.

“Easy,” I answered, suddenly flipping us over so that I was crouched above him, pinning his arms above his head and giving him a smirk. “I’m Caroline Forbes.”

Klaus’s surprised expression changed as he let out a laugh. “Ah, yes. That must be it,” he finally said, smiling fondly at me.

But then I remembered our current position and was on my feet in the next second. I straightened my shirt and cleared my throat, glancing at him sideways.

“I’m gonna take a shower,” I said lamely, trying to diffuse some of the awkwardness I felt.

“All by yourself?” Klaus asked in a mock-concerned tone, raising his eyebrows innocently.

I rolled my eyes and sighed, “Yes, _by myself_.”

Klaus shrugged in response. “Just making sure you’re safe.”

I gathered some random items of clothing and tried to ignore him as he continued.

“But by all means, love, if you think you hear a noise and become frightened, do not hesitate to – “

The bathroom door closing with a swift thump cut off his words. I heard a chuckle from my bedroom and shook my head. Despite being a thousand years old, Klaus still had the brain of a teenage boy.

I tossed my clothes on the sink counter and caught my reflection. My eyes widened at the sight.

I looked terrible. No, I somehow managed to look _worse_ than terrible. My hair was a complete and utter disgrace, sticking up in every direction and horribly tangled. Some of my mascara has smeared beneath my eyes, making me look like a tired raccoon. And in addition to that, I was wearing the same clothes I had worn yesterday. My shirt was sticking to my back with sweat. I cringed and quickly took it off, prepared to fling it into the clothes hamper when another scent made me pause. I slowly lifted the shirt to my nose and took an experimental whiff. It smelled like Klaus. My eyes instinctively snapped to the lock on the door, double checking it, just in case. I shook my head and tossed the shirt into the hamper. Turning back towards the mirror, I stared at my reflection.

Why hadn’t Klaus mentioned that I looked like a zombie?!

I let out a huff and peeled off the rest of my clothes, added them to the clothes hamper, and then turned on the shower.

One thing hadn’t changed about becoming a vampire: I still loved the feeling of hot water spraying onto my back.

Twenty minutes later, I smelled like shampoo and shower gel, feeling much happier now that I was clean. I towel dried my hair and let it fall over my shoulders, quickly ran a brush through it, and then flipped it around for good measure. Then I pulled on a pair of denim shorts that showed off my legs (for no particular reason, seriously) and a white t-shirt Damon had gotten me the previous year for Christmas. The front of it said “I”, then had a picture of a human heart, and beneath that, in dark red letters that looked as if they were dripping, it said, “Blood”.

“I (heart) blood”.

Needless to say, Damon received a laughs and eye rolls from Elena, Stefan, Bonnie, and Jeremy, but got nothing from me except a very vulgar hand gesture.

What can I say? I was drunk and feeling frisky.

I grinned at the memory and pulled on the shirt. I glanced at my reflection, then flung open the bathroom door and walked towards my room. I braced myself for the worst (the possibility of Klaus snooping through my underwear drawer), but came to an abrupt stop in the hallway. The distinct smell of eggs, pancakes, and maple syrup made mouth water. I quickly made a detour and dashed into the kitchen. Klaus had his back to me, flipping the eggs that still sizzled in the frying pan. I bit my lip and silently tiptoed towards him.

Before I could attempt to scare him, he suddenly spun around. I froze, not sure what to expect from him. Was he going to get mad? Assume I was planning something? Would he –

His pointer finger reached out and touched the tip of my nose, leaving behind a glob of pancake batter.

My mouth fell open as I stared down at my nose. I slowly looked back at Klaus and found him beaming proudly. I wanted to screech out my trademark phrase, ( _Seriously?_ ) but then Klaus started laughing and I couldn’t stop myself from joining him.

It was one of the very few times I had ever seen Klaus so relaxed and human, and it reminded me of the time he read my Miss Mystic Falls application out loud.

In between laughs, Klaus managed to form a sentence. “You should have known better than to sneak up on _me_ , Caroline.”

I shook my head and laughed, shooting back, “But pancake batter? Come on, Klaus!” This only made him laugh harder, which then made me laugh harder, and I was soon clutching my middle as I tried to calm my laughter. My stomach chose this moment to imitate the sound of a dying whale, making me blush and causing Klaus to let out another laugh.

“Come, let us eat before whatever is inside your stomach decides to break free and hurt someone,” Klaus said with a teasing grin.

I rolled my eyes and fought off a smile as I walked towards the bar, plopping onto a stool and swinging my legs. The action caught Klaus’s attention and his eyes were soon observing my legs. Well, when I say _observing_ , I kind of mean ogling. His gaze raked up my legs and stopped at my shirt. A smile stretched across his lips and he let out a laugh. “Now where did you manage to acquire such a shirt?” he asked curiously.

“ _Damon_ ,” I answered in distaste. Klaus hummed and nodded once in understanding. “It was my Christmas present, but only because it didn’t come in men’s sizes.”

He raised his eyebrows and smirked.

“As if _Damon_ actually needs something to further announce to the world that he’s a vampire,” Klaus said sarcastically.

“Oh, he wasn’t going to buy it for himself,” I corrected, causing him to shoot me a confused look. “He was going to buy it for Stefan.”

Klaus’s laughter filled the kitchen and I found myself smiling along with him.


	6. Picking Up G-Strings

I had scarfed down the stack of pancakes and all the scrambled eggs in less than five minutes. Klaus sat beside me, glancing over occasionally to give me an amused look. “I guess I’m just an amazing cook,” he said smugly.

I was licking my fork clean as he said this, and froze with my tongue sticking out of my mouth comically. He raised his eyebrows in further amusement.

“ _Yes_ ,” I said with a dramatic sigh. “You’re an _amazing_ cook. There, I admitted it. And you should definitely make me breakfast more often,” I said matter-of-factly.

He grinned and answered, “Well that can certainly be arranged, love.”

I shook my head and grinned, then quickly grabbed my plate and licked up the remaining syrup.

“Caroline,” Klaus said with a small laugh, “What are you – “

I put the plate down and looked at him with wide innocent eyes. He looked at my face and pressed his lips together tightly.

“What?” I inquired cautiously.

A smile broke out over his face and he was suddenly laughing. It took him several tries to form a sentence. “Y-you have… _syrup_ … allll over your face, love.”

I hesitantly touched my face and groaned as my fingers came in contact with the sticky maple syrup. Klaus quickly handed me a warm dishcloth with some soap on it.

“Here,” he said between chuckles.

I muttered a thank you, washed off my face, and then threw the wet dish cloth at him. He caught it easily and smiled.

“Ok, we have to clean this mess up. It looks like a bakery,” I announced.

There were dishes everywhere. Pans, spoons, mixing bowls, flour… It was pretty messy.

I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and began taking the dishes to the sink. I was extremely thankful for the dishwasher, but I still had to scrub off the remaining syrup from my plate. Klaus gathered all the other dishes and set them in a pile next to me, then went to my other side and put everything I had already rinsed off into the dish washer.

I filled the metal mixing bowl with water to dissolve the remaining pancake batter, then set it on the counter over the dishwasher. Klaus bent over to place the frying pan on the bottom rack at the same time I turned towards him. As I spun around, my elbow hit the bowl with a loud _tang_. Before I could catch it, the bowl flipped completely over and landed right on top of Klaus’s head with a thump and a large splash, completely soaking his hair, face, and shoulders. The bowl was so big that his entire head disappeared underneath of it. My hands slapped over my mouth as I gasped, my eyes as wide as saucers as I waited for his reaction.

Klaus was completely frozen, one hand hovering over where he had placed the frying pan in the dishwasher, and the other hanging by his side. We were like this for several seconds, unmoving and completely silent.

My hands slowly fell from my face, and I stared down at his frozen form. And then the giggle escaped from my mouth. I bit my lip harshly.

Klaus’s dripping wet hand very slowly reached up towards the bowl, grabbing one edge of it with his thumb and index finger, and slowly lifted it off his head. It was then that I could see his face.

Water dripped from his nose and hair, and the droplets ran down his face. There was white pancake batter in his hair and on his cheeks, and even on the tip of his nose. His expression was completely blank.

I stared at him, trying not to smile, but failing miserably.

“Sorry,” I sputtered with a mix of a laugh. I could feel the corners of my mouth fighting to lift, betraying the commands of my brain to _not laugh_.

Klaus never took his eyes off mine as he stood up and set the bowl on the counter.

“You think that’s funny?” he asked innocently, raising his eyebrows questioningly, his expression still not giving away any emotion.

“No,” I said shakily through another small laugh. A tiny smile formed on my face and I knew I was doomed.

Klaus took a slow and dangerous step towards me, still not looking away from my eyes. I had my entire bottom lip inside my mouth now, biting it as I tried desperately not to laugh.

Klaus raised his eyebrows quizzically.

“Really?” he asked in a calm voice. He touched my lip that I was biting and then grazed his fingers across my cheek, saying, “Because your face seems to think differently.”

I breathed out through my nose, the air sounding heavy and shaky. I really needed to learn to quit laughing at everything. I remained silent and continued to bite my lip, a giggle finally escaping from me.

Klaus’s eyes suddenly became wide and innocent as he moved closer and said, “How about a hug, then?” he suggested, lifting his arms and moving towards me.

I looked away from his eyes for a split second to glance at his wet, pancake batter-covered clothes.

“No,” I said with a chuckle, finally smiling.

He faked a hurt expression. “Oh come on, love. Just one hug,” he said teasingly.

“No!” I shrieked and jumped back as he moved towards me with his arms out.

I spun around and didn’t even get one step away when I felt strong, dripping wet arms wrap around me from behind.

“Ahh, now that’s more like it,” Klaus said smugly in my ear.

I squealed loudly, laughing and yelling, “AH! Klaus!!! Let go! Stop it.” This only made him pull my back harder against his chest and rub his soaked shirt onto me. I felt him drop his head and nuzzle against my hair, effectively making me wet and covered in as much pancake batter as he was. I shrieked louder and squirmed, but was no match for his unbreakable hold.

I squirmed and he suddenly rubbed his wet hair onto the back of my exposed neck.

“Eww!” I shrieked.

With a laugh, Klaus finally released me from his tight hold. I spun around to face him and glared at him. His eyes sparkled and he had a genuine smile. I looked down at myself and touched my hair.

“Klauuus,” I whined, “I just showered!”

“Well then you shouldn’t have dropped a mixing bowl onto my head,” he teased with a smirk.

“It was an accident,” I replied. “But now we have more of a mess to clean up, and I’ll have to take another shower.” Klaus smirked and raised his eyebrows suggestively at me. I gave him a look that clearly said _don’t even go there_.

Just then, the front door opened.

“Caroline, I’m home,” my mom called out. My eyes widened and Klaus’s smile fell. As she walked into the kitchen, she froze and stared at Klaus, her eyes flickering between us and noticing the state of our clothes and the kitchen.

After a hesitant pause, she asked, “Should I be concerned?”

My eyes flickered across the messy kitchen. “No, no, it’s ok. Don’t worry, we’ll clean it up.”

“O-kay…” she answered hesitantly, her narrowed gaze turning to scrutinize Klaus. “Why are _you_ here?”

“I was invited,” he answered smugly, managing to keep a straight face. My mom raised a skeptical eyebrow and turned to give me a questioning look.

“Ah, um,” I stuttered, my face suddenly feeling hot. “I thought he’d be the best bodyguard in case Silas showed up. I got a little freaked out last night, so I – “

“Last night?” my mom cut me off, her eyebrows rising further.

I hesitated, my mouth partially open, as I realized where her thoughts were going.

“Yeah, but I – we just watched movies all night. No drinking from humans, no crazy Silas hallucinations, no exciting things,” I reassured her.

Klaus smirked.

“I disagree,” he said, causing me to shoot him a glare. “Some things were _very_ exciting.”

My mouth was slack as I snuck a look at my mom, whose eyes had narrowed and hand had instinctively touched the holster attached to her hip.

I scoffed at Klaus.

“Like what?” I challenged, imagining the shade of red my face must’ve been at this point.

“Oh come now, Caroline,” he said my name in such a way that it sounded dirty. “Certainly you must recall when we were on the couch last night – “

“Do you _want_ me to shoot you?” my mom asked. Klaus grinned. To him, it probably sounded like a sarcastic joke. But I was chewing on my bottom lip with the knowledge that she was dead serious.

“Shoot me?” he retorted. “Why would you resort to such violence? I was merely going to state that _The Avengers_ is an extremely exciting film.”

I huffed and rolled my eyes. My mom’s face relaxed somewhat and she pursed her lips together. I let out a breath of relief as her hand moved away from her gun holster.

“I’m supposed to work an all-nighter again this evening,” she said, turning towards me and completely ignoring Klaus. “I could call in and tell them I’m taking a day off if you want me to.”

I gave her a small smile and shook my head. “No, I’ll be ok. Worst comes to worst, I can go to the Salvatore house.”

“With Elena acting the way she is?” she shot back. “That’s not a good idea, Caroline.”

“She could always spend the night at my house,” Klaus suggested with a smug grin. “After all, I’m the one who can give her the best protection.”

“What about Bonnie?” My mom continued, barely sparing Klaus a glance.

I shook my head dejectedly. “She’s already dealing with enough right now and her magic is sort of unstable. And I hate to admit it, but he’s right,” I said, looking at Klaus. “If I need protection, he’s the best there is.”

Klaus smiled a little at that; not in the conceited way I expected him to, but in a strangely hopeful way.

My mom let out a sigh, and begrudgingly nodded her head.

“I guess you’re right,” she said reluctantly. “I’m gonna’ grab something to eat.”

“Oh, there should be some pancakes left over,” I informed her as she walked to the counter.

She raised an eyebrow. “You made pancakes?”

“Um,” I began, “Klaus did, actually.”

She froze and slowly looked at me. “They’re… safe, right?”

Klaus let out a laugh and answered before I could. “I assure you, Sheriff Forbes, they’re not poisoned, there are no pieces of hair in them, and they don’t have a single drop of vampire blood.”

My mom raised her eyebrows and muttered, “Well that’s good to know.”

“I suppose I should be going, now,” Klaus spoke up. “Wearing wet clothes and having pancake batter in my hair isn’t quite the way I like to start my mornings.”

I rolled my eyes as Klaus grinned at me. We headed towards the front door and I stopped as he opened it. He was halfway out the door when he turned and said, “I look forward to seeing you tonight, Caroline.”

I raised my eyebrows at him incredulously. “You make it sound like it’s a date.”

Klaus smirked and said, “Perhaps it is.” Then he winked and closed the door, leaving me to roll my eyes for the hundredth time today.

“Well that was… _interesting_.”

My mom’s voice had me spinning on my heel.

“Yeah, well, it is _Klaus_ ,” I answered.

She hesitated for a moment, her expression torn between disgust and confusion. “He really likes you.”

I let out a groan.

“ _Mom_.”

“He does!” she said, raising her hands defensively. “I’m just stating the obvious. But if he hurts you, I will shoot him.” I let out a laugh. “Multiple times,” she continued, making me laugh harder. “You’re laughing, but it’s no joke,” she said, fighting off a smile. “He might be the Original Hybrid, but I will neuter him like a puppy.”

“Mom!” I exclaimed, laughing so hard that my stomach began to ache.

* * *

 

After I had finished cleaning up the kitchen, I quickly grew bored. I knew I was in desperate need of some girl time, so I called Bonnie and asked if she could come over. Sadly, she declined, saying that she was looking through old spell books in search of more information about Silas. I sighed and reassured her that it was alright. But after I hung up, I felt a bit lonely. My mom had showered and went to bed half an hour ago, and I wouldn’t disturb her just because I was bored. So with a huff and a quick search through my contacts, I called the next best person to hang out with.

“Hey Caroline, what’s up?”

The sound of Stefan’s voice made me smile.

“Are you busy right now?” I asked hesitantly.

“If by _busy_ you mean ‘Am I currently trying to knock some sense into Elena while barely refraining from killing her and Damon?’ Then the answer would be… Hmm, _want to_ , but no, I’m not busy,” he answered. “What’d you need?”

I smiled and replied, “Well, we haven’t gotten to just hang out in a long time and I miss you. Plus, I’m really bored.”

In the background, I heard Elena’s menacing voice. _“What’s wrong with Caroline? Did she finally realize that she can’t make a full-time job out of planning high school dances?”_

I rolled my eyes and heard Stefan let out a frustrated huff.

“Yeah, I’m bored too,” he answered. “And by bored I mean ‘I want to rip someone’s head off’.”

I snorted. “Yeah, I don’t know how you’ve gone so long without snapping her neck.”

In the background, something crashed and I heard Elena say ‘oops’ unapologetically.

“Believe me, it’s a constant struggle,” Stefan answered with a groan.

“Well if you want, you could come shopping with me and endure a different kind of torture as you carry all my bags and I ask your opinion on everything,” I said hopefully.

“ _Oh please, it’s torture even without the shopping part_ ,” Elena snapped in the background.

I narrowed my eyes. She was _seriously_ still listening in?

Her nagging voice continued. “ _She whines about everything and -_ ”

“Caroline, _nothing_ would make me happier right now,” Stefan assured me. “Except maybe the thing I said about breaking a certain someone’s neck.” I smiled as I heard him shuffling around. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“ _Don’t you wanna stay with me instead?_ ” Elena drawled out in a seductive voice.

I heard Stefan barely suppress his growl of annoyance. “Care?”

“Yeah?”

“Make that five minutes.”

* * *

 

Three minutes later, Stefan was knocking on the front door.

I grinned as I opened the door for him.

“I think you just broke a record,” I told him.

He looked at me like I was crazy. “Did you _hear_ Elena? I’m ashamed I wasn’t here in _two_ minutes.”

I gave him a sad smile and wrapped my arms around him. He squeezed me tightly against him and groaned, “You have _no idea_ how incredibly annoying she’s been.”

“Oh I can take a wild guess,” I answered. “She irritates me more than her evil doppelganger.”

“Yeah,” he snorted. “At this point, I’d rather live with Katherine.”

I laughed, then hugged him tighter and told him seriously, “It will get better, Stefan. She can’t stay like that forever. We’ll find a way. Whether I have to slap it out of her, or guilt her, or whatever it may be; we _will_ get her humanity back. Even the scariest, most evil vampires in the world have their humanity switch on.”

He stayed silent for a few moments.

“Speaking of the most evil vampires,” he said in a curious tone, “why, exactly, do you smell like Klaus?”

I froze.

“Umm… I - …” I pulled out of his arms to see him smirking down at me. “He – he just – um, I’ll explain later,” I said finally.

Stefan nodded and grinned. I playfully shoved him out the door, quickly grabbing my purse and following him.

* * *

 

The nearest mall was about twenty minutes away, which gave us time to talk.

I told Stefan to go ahead and vent about Elena while I drove, to which he hesitantly agreed.

He talked about how everything used to be so different, and how much he missed the human Elena. He talked about going with Shane to the island, Jeremy’s death, and Elena’s reaction. He talked about the many people that had died in the past few years, mainly his best friend Lexi, who Damon killed. Have I mentioned how much I can’t stand him?

By the time we reached the mall and found a parking space, he seemed to be more at ease after getting everything off his chest. I gave him another hug and told him again that everything would be okay, and then got out of the car.

“Where to, Miss Forbes?” Stefan asked, sticking out his elbow for me to take. I laughed and linked my arm through his.

“I think we should just walk through and go in whichever ones look interesting,” I answered.

Stefan winced. “Is that how all girls think when they shop?”

I shrugged which made him look even more confused.

“Ya know, you’d think after living for over a hundred and sixty-five years, I’d understand women better,” he said simply.

I let out a laugh. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

* * *

 

Several hours later, after going to countless stores, Stefan had shopping bag handles covering both arms. He sat outside the dressing room and was completely relaxed as I asked for his opinion on dozens of clothing items. For the first few minutes, he was reluctant to tell me if he didn’t like the outfit. But after half an hour of what I assumed was torture to him, he gave up the sugar coating and told it as it was.

“The color is wrong with your skin tone,” he said as soon as I opened the door on my stall.

“Yeah, I was afraid of that,” I sighed, glancing at my reflection in the mirror. “It’s so cute though!”

“Yeah, well, Judge Stefan gives it two thumbs down,” he said, smiling sadly and actually pointing both of his thumbs at the floor.

I laughed and shut the door, quickly slipping on a royal blue, A-line dress that touched my knees. I gave myself a once-over and then opened the door with a hopeful smile.

Stefan raised his gaze from his phone and glanced down at the dress once before he looked me in the eye and ordered, “Get it.”

Ten minutes later, we were walking through the mall and Stefan was carrying a dozen or more shopping bags. Even with his vampire strength, he seemed to be struggling a bit. I grinned as I stopped, dug through my purse, and then handed him a car key. “Here,” I told him, almost laughing at the sheer joy spreading across his face. “You can put all my bags in the trunk.”

He released a long breath, took the keys, and then cried out “Thank you!” as he dashed away. It was only a minute or so later that he came back, a hint of a grimace on his face.

“Sooo,” he began, “I’m guessing we’re still not done… _shopping_.”

“Don’t worry, there’s only one more store I wanted to go into,” I said cheerfully.

He sighed dramatically in relief and looked at me expectantly. “And which one would that be?”

“That one,” I said and pointed up at the sign.

Stefan’s eyes slowly went from the ground up to the hot pink sign that hung above the store, bearing the name proudly. His eyes widened and his jaw slackened slightly.

“Please no,” he said while still looking at the sign.

I smirked and dragged him inside, hearing him groan behind me.

“Really, Care?” he sighed as I pulled him through the store. “You just _had_ to make me come in here?”

“Yep,” I responded without even a hint of shame. “This is one of my favorite stores.”

He closed his eyes and grimaced again, then shook his head. “I – I’m not even going to respond to that.”

I let out a laugh and stopped at a table covered in my favorite style.

“Come on,” I teased him. “There are pictures of gorgeous women in here. You can’t tell me you’re not enjoying that part at least.”

Stefan glanced around, gave me a blank stare, and then narrowed his eyes.

“ _Caroline_ ,” he began, “I am in a _Victoria’s Secret_ with my best friend – who is looking at her favorite underwear – while being stared at by dozens of women, who are also looking for their favorite type of underwear.”

I shrugged. “And?”

Stefan craned his neck to look at someone and then winced. “And there’s a woman who is _at least_ sixty-five years old over there picking up G-strings while smiling at me.”

I choked on nothing and tried desperately not to laugh. “Well older women should be allowed to feel sexy, too!” I whispered, my voice shaking as I chuckled. “And besides, you’re almost three times her age.”

“Caroline,” Stefan said in a completely serious voice, “she’s missing half of her teeth.”

I snorted.

“Caroline, she won’t stop _staring_ ,” he hissed. “She’s – oh please no – ugh, Care, she’s – ugh, she’s looking at me and she’s smiling – Care, she’s licking her lips. Care, can we just – crap, now she’s bending over the table and – _Caroline!_ ”

I pressed my lips together and glanced in the direction Stefan was pointedly trying not to look. I winced as I saw the old woman bent down, picked up a G-string that had fallen onto the floor, and then winked at Stefan. A laugh burst from between my lips as I quickly jerked my head away from her direction.

“The only thing that could possibly be more awkward then this is if your mom was here,” Stefan groaned. “Or Damon... _Or Klaus_.”

My head snapped back to look at him and he raised his eyebrows and smirked at me.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Ugh, don’t put disgusting thoughts into my brain, Stefan.”

I could practically hear him smiling as he said, “Disgusting? More like _nasty_.”

I scoffed and shot a weak glare at him. “Since when do you tease me about Klaus? I thought that was Damon’s job.”

“And I thought you didn’t invite Klaus to spend the night with you,” he countered, grinning wickedly.

“ _Nothing happened!_ ” I whispered harshly, glancing around the store to see if anyone had heard.

“Ok, I believe you,” Stefan replied, raising his hands in defeat. I went back to looking for other colors when I heard him say in a pained voice, “But I’m gonna need him to compel me later.”

I snuck a glance behind me to see the same old woman licking her lips and staring unashamedly at Stefan’s butt.

I bit the inside of my cheek and tried desperately not to laugh.

* * *

 

Stefan drove on the way back home, leaving me to stare out the window. After a few moments of silence, he finally spoke up. “So… what’s up with you and Klaus?”

I glanced at his blank expression once before answering, “Um, well, he asked me to come over to his house tomorrow night.”

Stefan turned towards me, a shocked and slightly confused expression on his face.

“Is this some kind of organized kidnapping?” he asked, only partially joking.

I laughed and said, “No, it’s my own free will.”

He hesitated again. “Since when did you and Klaus become buddies?”

“We’re… _not_.”

He licked his lips and then said, “Well then why do you smell like him?”

My mouth opened and closed once. “It’s a long story.”

Stefan gave me a sideways glance.

“I’m not going to judge you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he reassured me.

I sighed and stared out the windshield. “I know you won’t. It’s just… weird. With him, I mean. I don’t know what to feel or what to think. I mean I keep thinking about all the horrible things he’s done, but then I remember what you told me…”

“About us all doing horrible things,” he finished with a nod.

“Exactly,” I sighed. “I just don’t know what to do. I know he’s never going to totally change into a good guy, and surprisingly… I don’t expect him to. He’s lived for a thousand years. I haven’t even made it to twenty and I’ve already killed over a dozen people. I’m not saying that I should forget about all the terrible things he’s done to us, but maybe I should give him a second chance.”

Stefan was quiet for a few moments.

“I think,” he began, “that you should give him as many or as few chances as you want. You bring out the good in him. He cares about you as much as he does his own siblings, sometimes maybe even more. You’re the only person who brings out the small shred of humanity he’s been clinging onto ever since he was turned into a vampire.”

“So,” I thought out loud, “what you’re saying is…”

“You’re the light to his darkness,” Stefan said.

I blinked and stared at the road in front of us.

“Huh,” I mused.

“I only have one piece of advice, Care,” Stefan told me, looking away from the road for a few seconds to give me a small smile. “Klaus has always gotten everything he wants exactly when he wants it. Don’t let him have his way this time.” I cocked an eyebrow at him and he chuckled in response. “Meaning: screw with his brain.”

I laughed in shock. “Stefan!”

“What! I’m just _saying_.”

I shook my head and laughed again.

Even though Stefan’s advice was hilarious, it was actually true. The more I thought about the idea of teasing Klaus half to death, the more I liked it.


	7. Thought That Was My Thing

The sun was setting as Stefan pulled into the driveway.

“Well,” Stefan sighed, “it sure has been fun, but I have an angry brother and an emotionless ex-girlfriend at home waiting for me.”

I gave him an apologetic smile and got out of the car, opening the trunk and grabbing as many shopping bags as I could carry. Stefan did the same, following me inside the house where we set all the bags on my bedroom floor. I walked over to my closet and swung the door open, groaning when several pairs of jeans and some random shoes tumbled onto my head. I heard Stefan chuckling behind me.

“Good luck,” he said with amusement.

I huffed and muttered sarcastically, “ _Thanks_.”

“See you later, Caroline,” I heard Stefan say.

“See ya’!” I answered over my shoulder right before I heard the front door close.

I tossed the jeans onto my bed and stared at my closet in contemplation. Finally giving up, I quickly grabbed all the clothes hanging or folded in my closet and flung them across my bed. There was now a huge pile of dresses, shorts, jackets, and tons of other things covering my bed.

“Well this should take a while,” I muttered.

* * *

I spent the rest of the night reorganizing my closet and my drawer space, and threw all my old torn up clothes into several boxes that I slid underneath my bed.

I fell asleep almost the very second my head hit the pillow.

* * *

 

I slept in late and lazily ate breakfast.

After taking a hot and steamy shower that seemed to wake me up, I put on a pair of comfy denim shorts and an old t-shirt, threw my wet hair into a messy bun, and decided that today was a cleaning day.

I scrubbed down and thoroughly cleaned both bathrooms, then swept all the floors in the house. After cleaning every inch of kitchen and turning on the full dishwasher, I gathered all the dirty clothes and towels and did several loads of laundry.

I folded the clean clothes and put them all away, then admired the spiffy clean house.

My mom said goodbye as she walked out the front door. I hadn’t even realized it was nearly sunset.

I grabbed a blood bag and drank happily, feeling all the energy I thought I had lost from cleaning come rushing back into me.

I heard my phone beep from my bedroom. With the blood bag in one hand, still drinking that last remaining drops, I vamp-sped into my room and picked up my phone.

I froze as I read “new text message” and Klaus’s name appeared on my screen. I don’t know how, but I had almost forgotten about tonight.

Opening the text, I sped back into the kitchen and threw away the empty blood bag.

_I hope you’re still willing to come over. - Klaus_

I smiled at the screen. _Wait, what_? Why was I smiling? It’s _Klaus_. I shook my head and texted back quickly.

_If by that do you mean, “Would I rather stay at my house all alone while a 2,000 year old immortal vampire roams around Mystic Falls?” Then yes, I am definitely still willing to come over. - Caroline_

My phone beeped again.

_That’s the first time I’ve laughed for the entire day, love. – Klaus_

I smiled.

_I tend to have that effect on people. – Caroline_

His reply was almost instant.

_I don’t doubt it, sweetheart. You’re presence alone lights up a room. – Klaus_

I rolled my eyes but smiled.

_Cheesy pickup line number one of the night has officially been launched. Stand by to see retaliation. – Caroline_

_There’s plenty more where that came from, love. And I didn’t think it sounded cheesy at all. – Klaus_

I rolled my eyes again.

_You are the king of cheesy, Klaus. If you were an animal, you would be a mouse. – Caroline_

He replied less than five seconds later.

_Now that was cheesy, Caroline. – Klaus_

_I laughed. Ok, I have to agree with you on that one. Give me ten minutes and I’ll be over. – Caroline_

He replied with nothing but a smiley face.

I quickly changed out of my “cleaning clothes” and threw on a pair of light denim shorts I had bought today. I put on a blouse that matched my eyes and had intricate designs across the front. Slipping on some matching flats, I applied some natural-looking makeup and re-curled my hair.

After sticking my phone and house key into my pocket, I skipped towards the front door, locked it, and then stepped into the street. It was a new moon, which to a human’s eyes would make everything look pitch-black. But not to mine.

Seeing that there was no one in sight, I took off at vampire speed towards Klaus’s house. My heart pounded inside my chest, and it wasn’t because I was running.

* * *

 

I had my hand raised into a fist, about to knock on the Mikaelson’s front door, when it was suddenly flung open. My fist was still raised in the air as I looked up at Klaus’s face.

He looked at me with raised quizzical eyebrows and a mock-judging gaze.

“You’re twenty-six seconds late,” he said matter-of-factly, trying to keep his face blank.

I rolled my eyes.

“And you’re five seconds from getting whacked over the head with a baseball bat,” I said with a cocky smile.

“Hey! I thought that was _my_ thing!” An amused voice said from behind me.

I jumped and spun around at the same time that Klaus’s gaze flickered behind me.

I breathed in sharply at the sight.

In a broken voice, Klaus whispered in disbelief, “Kol?”


	8. Hormonal Bipolar Originals

_In a broken voice, Klaus whispered in disbelief, “Kol?”_

“The one and only,” Kol answered with a smirk. Cocking his head and staring at Klaus, he asked, “Did you miss me? Well you obviously did, or else you wouldn’t have reacted when Jeremy Gilbert drove a stake through my heart. Some friend he was!”

Klaus and I still stared at him with open mouths and wide eyes.

“ _Well_??? Aren’t you going to say something, Nik? I have been dead for like… _ever_ ,” Kol said, rolling his eyes at the end.

Klaus released a shaky breath and shook his head slightly.

“Silas. He must be in our heads,” he said hoarsely with a pained expression.

Kol raised both eyebrows in challenge. “Seriously, Nik? You _really_ think that I’m Silas?”

Klaus clenched his jaw and stared at him with a hard expression. “ _Yes_ ,” he said bitterly.

Kol narrowed his eyes at Klaus. “Would Silas know about the time when we were children and I lost father’s sword? Then you told everyone that it was your fault so that father gave you the beating instead of me?”

Klaus’s eyes widened and he gulped. “Y – You still remember that?” Klaus asked uncertainly.

Kol rolled his eyes again. “ _Of course_ I remember! Because I’m not Silas!”

I took a step towards Kol. “Hold on. If you’re really Kol, then does that mean – “

“Oh don’t worry, darling,” Kol said with a dismissing wave of his hand. “I just have a very old and powerful witch who took her good old time in getting me back from the dead. Silas hasn’t raised hell on earth. Not yet at least. Oh, and by the way,” he glanced between Klaus and I, grinning smugly, “ _I told you so_.”

I narrowed my eyes at him and asked, “How can I tell that you’re not a ghost?”

He shrugged. “If you can touch me, I guess. Which by all means, feel free to try,” he winked suggestively at me and grinned.

I ignored Klaus’s disapproving growl and took a step towards Kol.

“Hmm,” I contemplated.

At vamp speed, I pulled my arm back and then slapped him across the cheek, hearing a loud ‘smack’ and ‘crunch’.

I smirked at him and said, “Ok, I guess you’re real.”

Klaus’s small laugh that he tried to cover up with a cough didn’t go unnoticed.

“Ahh!” Kol yelled, cupping his hand against his face. He grabbed his jaw and jerked it to one side, popping it back into its right position with a disgusting sound.

He lifted his face to glare at me with dangerous fiery eyes. “What was that for?” he growled at me.

I sent a glare back at him.

“You tried to kill Jeremy, and you threatened Bonnie. I’m Caroline Forbes: Be thankful you only got a slap in the face,” I said stubbornly.

He scoffed and replied, “Oh, please. I was not trying to _kill_ Jeremy! Uhh, hello! _Hunter’s curse_! Duh! I was simply trying to chop off his arms!” He licked his lips and then narrowed his eyes at me. “You shouldn’t slap an Original, darling. I’ve heard they can be _very_ temperamental,” he said in warning.

I heard Klaus laugh behind me again.

“I’ve missed you, brother,” Klaus said with a wide smile as he rushed forward and pulled Kol into a bear hug.

Kol’s irritated expression disappeared for a moment as he grinned and hugged him back.

“Hey, don’t even think for a second I’ve forgiven you for daggering me, Nik,” he warned as Klaus released him.

“I didn’t expect for you to fall at my feet and worship me, brother. How can I make it up to you?” Klaus asked.

Kol looked at him seriously and answered, “You can promise me that you will never, _ever_ use the bloody dagger on me. And if you do; once you un-dagger me, I’m allowed to do whatever I want for a week straight without getting told no. Understood? And I do mean _anything_.”

Klaus laughed and stuck out his hand. “Deal,” he said as they shook hands and grinned at each other. With once swift movement, Kol jerked Klaus’s hand to one side, causing the hybrid’s wrist to snap. Klaus yelled and pulled back, glaring at Kol with fierce yellow eyes. Klaus quickly grabbed his wrist and popped the bone into place, letting out an animalistic snarl.

“And _that’s_ for helping raise Silas!” Kol stated with a smirk.

Klaus ground his teeth as he scowled at Kol, his yellow eyes slowly returning to a stormy blue.

* * *

 

“So,” Kol said as he plopped onto Klaus’s leather couch, propping his feet on the coffee table. “You two seem _extra friendly_ towards each other.” He smirked and glanced between Klaus and me.

“Yeah? So?” I snapped, sitting on a leather chair across from him.

Klaus walked by him and roughly knocked Kol’s feet onto the floor.

“That table has existed longer than you’ve been in a coffin. Show it some respect,” Klaus growled, then sat on the other end of the couch.

Kol ignored him and continued, “ _So?_ It’s not just _so_ , Caroline. You’re spending time together. I mean, I’m not objecting. In fact, I think our little sugar plum has been alone for far too long. Maybe a pretty little thing like you can cheer him up a bit!”

Klaus’s eyes flashed yellow again as he glared at Kol.

“We’re spending some time together. So what? Am I not allowed to hang out with someone who actually gives a crap about me?” I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Kol grinned, unaffected by my snappy outburst.

“You can hang out with whoever you want, darling! But I’m pretty sure people who are ‘just friends’ these days don’t watch movies together while cuddling,” he announced smugly.

I gasped slightly. “H – how did you even – “

“The Other Side, darling. I see you two snuggle-buddies, but you couldn’t see me. Besides, you were much too busy with _sexy couch time_ to even have noticed if Silas or a burglar walked in,” Kol said cheerfully.

I watched as Klaus rose to his feet in fury. “I will – !“

“Klaus, stop! He just returned from the other side, you can’t send him back there within the first five minutes he’s alive again,” I said.

Klaus ground his teeth while glaring at Kol, then spun on his heel and marched to pour himself a drink. “Anyone care to get drunk now?” he asked sarcastically.

Kol scoffed. “Oh please, we both know the only thing getting drunk would accomplish is another make-out session with your little blonde strumpet,” he said with distaste. I heard the glass Klaus had been holding smash between his fingers. Kol ignored him and continued. “I mean, really Nik? You fancy the girl who is best friends with the idiots who killed your own brother?”

_Where did that come from?_

Before Klaus could turn around, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I slowly stood up and faced Kol, smiling sweetly and putting my hands on my hips.

“Ok, I know you’re still adjusting to being here and all that, but let’s get one thing straight,” I began, stepping even closer to him and leaning forward to give him an intense stare. Kol shifted uncomfortably in his seat at my close proximity. “I am _not_ a little whore that can be controlled like a puppet. Yeah, I get that you’re mad about two teenagers killing _you_ , a thousand year old Original, but that doesn’t mean you can take it out on _me_.” His eyes widened slightly. “I’m very sorry they killed you, Kol. I would’ve stopped it if I could have. But you’d better stop acting like you know everything about me, and accusing me of being a slut, or else I will slap you so hard that you bleed from your eyeballs. Got it?”

Kol went from looking genuinely scared to smirking like a moron.

“You sure do like the feisty ones, don’t you Nik?” he said, turning to give Klaus a wide smile.

Man, what’s with these hormonal, bipolar Originals? I think I’m getting whiplash.

Klaus sat on the couch, handing me a drink on the way, and giving one to Kol as well.

“I told you she was stunning,” Klaus said with shining eyes.

I rolled my eyes.

“ _Anyway_ ,” I said to Klaus, trying to change the subject. “What are we doing? I mean, you must’ve had something planned for me. Cheesy pick-up lines? A movie? A late night snack?” I said teasingly.

With a mischievous grin, Klaus answered, “Well, if you want a snack, I’m sure there would be men lining up for you to take a bite out of them.”

I rolled my eyes _yet again_ and tried to keep from smiling. “That’s two out of the three,” I stated.

“That only leaves one other option, then: Movie time!” Kol announced with excitement. “Nik, go make popcorn,” he demanded.

Klaus sighed and disappeared into another room.

I raised an eyebrow suspiciously and questioned, “Since when did you decide to be all cheerful?”

Kol waved a hand dismissively at me and bounced out of his seat to look through the TV cabinet.

“Oh come on, darling. I had a bit of a grumpy moment. And I’m sorry,” he said while glancing at me with a smile and wide, innocent eyes.

I blinked in surprise.

“You’re actually very determined. I like you,” he said simply while sending a smirk in my direction.

“Greaaaat, another Original that likes me. Things should get quite interesting,” I stated sarcastically.

Kol chuckled. “Not like _that_. I wish to be your friend, darling. And considering the fact that you’re willingly to give my siblings a second chance, I thought you’d do the same with me,” he said.

I narrowed my eyes at him, still suspicious. He glanced at me and chuckled.

“Don’t worry, Caroline. I do not wish to start a battle with Nik to court you. Besides, he couldn’t stand a chance against this handsome devil,” he said with a cocky smirk and pointed at his face.

I was about to make a witty remark when Klaus beat me to it.

“Oh come on, Kol. Your face looks like a buzzard’s buttocks,” he said matter-of-factly.

Kol’s mouth fell open in mock-surprise.

“I don’t like you anymore, Nik,” Kol sassed.

* * *

 

I was now sitting in the middle of the couch, with Klaus on one side and Kol on the other.

“Why won’t you tell us which movie you picked?” I asked Kol for the third time.

He let out a dramatic sigh.

“ _Because_!” Kol whined. “It ruins the surprise! The suspense! _The_ _illusion_!”

“It’s The Illusionist, isn’t it?” Klaus asked in a bored tone.

“ _Damn you_ , Nik! DAMN YOU!” Kol shouted.


	9. State Of Undress

Klaus’s POV

“Wait a second. It was all _an illusion_?!” Kol cried as the movie ended.

I sighed impatiently.

“Yes, Kol. That’s probably why the movie title is _The Illusionist_ ,” I told him sarcastically.

I hadn’t gotten to talk to Caroline for the _entire_ night. I hadn’t even sat next to her. Why? Because Kol had insisted on keeping us separated so that there wasn’t “ _a_ _repeat of the horrors he saw from The Other Side_ ”. He got a four hundred year old book thrown at his head for that one.

I removed the DVD from the player and placed it back in its case. Kol still sat unmoving on the couch with a slackened jaw.

“All of _that_ , and it wasn’t even real. How can they just… _Ugh_! You modern directors _infuriate_ me!” Kol exclaimed.

“Umm… It’s called a plot twist, Kol,” Caroline told him. “It’s like the best part of any movie.”

Kol threw his hands into the air and made a frustrated sound.

“Well I don’t like it and I’m bored now,” he said, suddenly standing and disappearing into the kitchen.

I rolled my eyes for what seemed to be the hundredth time tonight.

“Ok then,” Caroline said with raised eyebrows, clearly amused by the situation.

I, however, was not.

She stood up from her seat and stretched her arms above her head, yawning widely. My irritation immediately disappeared and I smiled. Does she even realize how adorable she is when she yawns? Or how sexy she looks when she stretches?

 _Do not go there right now, you fool_ , I scolded myself.

“Well,” Caroline began, “I guess I should leave. You probably want to spend some time with your newly alive brother.”

I laughed.

“I will soon spend more than enough time with Kol; that I am sure of. Besides, I have many guest rooms if you would prefer to stay here for the night, love. I’m sure it would be the safest place at the moment,” I said matter-of-factly.

Caroline narrowed her eyes at me and crossed her arms.

“I don’t need to be babysat, Klaus. I’ll be fine,” she replied playfully. “But thanks for offering.”

She gave me a genuine smile. I couldn’t help but smile back.

We walked towards the front door and I opened it for Caroline. The moonlight shone down on her face and wavy locks, making her look impossibly more gorgeous.

_She’s making the Original Hybrid have the hormones of a teenager. What is wrong with me?_

“I suppose I actually am overjoyed about Kol,” I said.

Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at me.

“Well, even though your entire family is crazy, I’m glad that you have your brother back,” she said.

“I’m sure you’ll change your mind once Kol begins destroying everything in his path,” I assured her with a grin.

She laughed once. “I hope not. Anyways, I guess I’ll see you later,” she said with a smile. I returned it with enthusiasm. “Goodnight, Caroline.”

“Night, Klaus,” she said, vanishing at a supernatural speed.

I barely had the door shut when Kol’s voice was right behind me.

“So,” he drawled out with a smirk, “Martinis or tequila?”

I gave him a wicked grin and made my first bad decision of that night:

“ _Both_.”

* * *

 

It was utterly astounding to me how Kol had managed it, but in between his times of being daggered in a coffin, he’d figured out the perfect mixture of drinks to get an Original vampire drunk. He’d assumed that my being a hybrid would cause my immune system to be stronger and work faster than his, so he doubled the amount of alcohol in my drink. To say the least, he’d been ridiculously successful. The throbbing in my head and the aching in my bones the next morning were more than enough proof of that.

“Nik!” I heard Rebekah call from my bedroom door.

I moaned and scrunched up my face in protest.

“Nik! Nik, wake up!” she urged.

“Mmm, nooo,” I groaned out.

I heard Rebekah huff from beside my bed. She was completely silent for a moment before I felt a feather graze the tip of my nose. I growled and knocked it away from my face, then rolled onto the other side of the bed and laid on my stomach.

Rebekah let out a huff. “Honestly Nik, must you be so difficult?”

The blanket that was on top of me was suddenly being ripped away.

“Ew!” she shrieked, causing me to scramble to cover my ears. “Don’t you _ever_ sleep with anything on besides those damn necklaces? It’s _gross_!”

“Go away, Bekah,” I growled, not bothering to retrieve the blanket.

“Honestly, would it bother you to wear trousers every now and then?” she snapped.

I chuckled and replied groggily, “Well it’s your fault for ripping the blankets off of me. Besides, we’ve been siblings for over a thousand years. It’s not like you’ve never seen my bare rump before.”

I heard her scoff as she threw the blanket onto me, covering up the lower half of my body.

“That doesn’t make it any less horrifying!” she answered.

I sighed in relief as I heard her leave the room. A few seconds later, however, I heard her footsteps coming back. I decided to simply ignore her.

Suddenly, a huge bucket of ice water was dumped onto me, completely soaking me. I leaped out of bed, slipped on a pair of black boxers, and then grabbed Rebekah by the throat, all in less than half a second.

“See! Now you’re awake,” she said with a smug grin.

Water dripped from my hair and splattered onto the carpet.

“What is the meaning of all this?” I growled, giving her throat a small squeeze in warning.

She glared at me and answered, “The meaning of this is that Kol wants to avenge his death. And since your precious little doppelganger will be his victim, I thought you may want to know. But sure, go ahead and choke out your beloved sister who is only trying to _help you_!”

My eyes widened. She took the chance to pull my hand from her throat and dash to the doorway.

“Oh, and do hurry. He left about five minutes ago,” she said with a small smile.

I growled at her and stomped towards the bathroom in search of a towel.

* * *

 

I arrived at the Salvatore mansion just in time to save Elena from Kol’s deadly grip on her heart.

“Well, _Elena_ ,” Kol spat with disgust, “It would seem that my brother has saved your life yet again!” He turned to look at me with a menacing smile. “See you back at the house, Nik.” Kol then flashed out the door.

Stefan ( _Although I almost always think of him as the ripper_ ) thanked me, and surprisingly, so did the oldest Salvatore. The doppelganger, however, being emotionless, just made an annoying remark that I simply ignored.

I was surprised that Caroline wasn’t here. I had looked forward to seeing her here trying to rescue her beloved ex-best friend.

Pushing that thought from my mind, I patted Stefan once on the back, rolled my eyes when Damon sarcastically offered to give me a hug, and then dashed out the front door. Going at top speed, I ran to my house.

I already had an undead brother to kill. _Fantastic_.

* * *

 

I slammed my front door and glared around the room.

“ _Where is he?!”_ I growled to Rebekah, who was sitting comfortably on the couch reading a beauty magazine. Without looking up, she pointed towards the stair case.

I muttered a thank you and climbed the stairs two at a time. Following the sound of running water in one of the guest bathrooms, I opened the door silently. Taking two large steps, I grabbed the right side of the shower curtain, flinging it open in one swift motion. Steam clouded my sight, but I heard Kol make a startled sound.

I grinned maliciously and said in a mocking tone, “You squeal like a child, Kol. A spoiled little – “ The steam cleared and my jaw slackened. “ _Caroline_?”

Those familiar and enticing blue eyes were now wide, her lips parted in shock.

“ _Klaus_!” she shrieked in protest.

Forcing myself to only look at her face, I stuttered an apology and stumbled backwards, taking the shower curtain with me in my fisted hand. My knees suddenly gave out, and my hands flew through the air trying to catch myself on something. The shower curtain and the rod ripped out of place and tumbled on top of me, furthering my loss of balance. The back of my head slammed into the corner of the sink with a loud crack. My back hit the floor, as well as my severely bleeding head, and the air whooshed out of my lungs.

I gasped, tilted my head back, and closed my eyes. Biting my lip, I tried to ignore the pain that surged from my head. The throbbing from my hangover came back full force.

I heard Caroline gasp, and then the world went black for a few seconds as the dizziness and concussion tried to take over. I groaned loudly as I felt I could breathe again.

“Klaus?” I felt her hand touch the gash in my head. “Oh it was a sink, not a white oak stake, for crying out loud.”

I cracked open an eye with a wince, seeing her face hovering inches from mine. I didn’t need to look down further to realize that she was still completely naked.

She raised her eyebrows at me in question.

I gulped.

“You should probably put on a towel before I faint again, love,” I rasped.

Her annoyed expression instantly morphed into a horrified gape as she realized her state of dress. Or should I say _state of undress_.

Caroline gasped loudly. She flashed away from me and grabbed a white towel that was neatly folded on the sink.

Caroline wrapped the towel around herself, and it was only then that I truly admired her.

My eyes scanned across her flushed cheeks, her pink lips, and then further down to her heaving chest. The wet blonde hair stuck to the skin at her shoulders and dripped at the ends, making small puddles on the floor. A hand clutched the towel to herself, while the other hung limp by her side. The towel showed off her every curve and came down only mid-thigh. This gave me a magnificent view of her long perfect legs. A few water droplets fell from her fingertips, and many others rolled down her bare skin.

I hadn’t noticed until now that I was panting.

Caroline kneeled down, still holding the towel with one hand. She grabbed a washcloth and leaned towards me, pressing it against the wound in my head. This caused her to hover a few inches above me. I could feel heat radiating off her skin, even through the towel. Every nerve in my body felt like it was exploding. I clenched my jaw and could feel my heart beating impossibly fast.

“So what’s the damage?” she asked with a bashful smile and a worried look in her eyes.

I let out a laugh.

“Well,” I said in a bored tone, “Besides the gash in the back of my head that’s concussion-worthy, I think my wrist could be an issue. Nothing too serious, though.”

A crease appeared between her eyebrows for a moment before she looked between us and saw my hand. I followed her stare and _sure enough_ , my wrist was broken.

“Are you _kidding me?_ ” she exclaimed, her eyes wide. “How did you even manage to do that?”

Ignoring the pounding in my head, I gave her a lopsided smile. “Evidently that’s what happens when I accidentally see you naked and don’t have time to prepare myself.”

I was surprised she hadn’t slapped me already. Instead, she only scoffed.

“You didn’t have time to prepare yourself?” she snapped. “I was taking a shower, Klaus! What is your _problem_?”

I groaned, closing my eyes and breathing heavily. Her shouting wasn’t helping my headache.

“I thought you were Kol,” I admitted weakly.

“Uh, unless your brother is hiding the fact that he has _boobs_ , then I think you need to get your eyes checked!”

I sighed heavily and grabbed my wrist, cringing as I snapped it back into place.

“I am not implying that I thought you looked like my brother,” I stated with a huff. “Rebekah told me Kol was upstairs and I assumed she meant he was in here. I didn’t know you were even in this house. No offense love, but why _are_ you here in one of my showers?”

“I’ll tell you later,” she said, shaking her head. “What did Kol do? I heard him say Elena’s name. Did he hurt her?”

I laughed once. “Oh, he certainly tried. Had it not been for me showing up, Elena’s heart would not still be inside of her.”

She glared at me.

“What? Why would he – “ she closed her lips then and groaned. “ _Right_. Jeremy and Elena killed him.”

“Now he wants revenge,” I affirmed, “and with good reason, too. But I still need to find him and establish some ground rules.”

She let out a breath and pushed against my shoulder.

“Well then go find him,” she ordered. “And let me shower in peace!”

I stood up, threw away the washcloth she’d given me, and sent a smirk in her direction.

“Well perhaps you should learn to lock the door, love,” I teased.

She gave me a disbelieving look. “Yeah, because locking the door in a house full of Originals is going to be _so helpful_.”

I laughed and left the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind me and hearing the handle click as she locked it.

I flashed downstairs to find Rebekah still sitting on the couch, her mouth in a tight line as she tried not to laugh.

“You said Kol was upstairs,” I snarled.

She fought the smile that threatened at the corners of her lips.

“Yes! _Upstairs_! Upstairs as in ‘ _upstairs in his bedroom’_. Not the bloody bathroom!” she said with laughter and an amused smirk. “Well, now it truly _is_ a bloody bathroom. Which I’m not cleaning up, by the way.”

I pretended to be hurt by her statement.

“Why yes, dear sister. I just had a terrible accident, but I’m perfectly alright. Thank you _so_ _much_ for your concern,” I told her sarcastically.

She scoffed.

“Oh _please_ , you heal faster than I do. But I do wish I could’ve seen the look on Caroline’s face when you ripped off the shower curtain. More importantly, the look on your face when you saw her naked,” she said with a snicker.

I growled and dashed up the stairs again.

“And Nik!” Rebekah called. I turned my head and looked at her from the top of the stairs. “I’m serious about the mess. _You’re_ cleaning it up,” she said with a grin.

I rolled my eyes and stomped towards Kol’s room, hearing his loud laughter coming from inside. Repeating my actions from a few minutes ago, I flung the door open and stormed inside.

Kol was laying on his bed, arms wrapped around his middle, eyes squeezed shut and tears rolling down his cheeks. He was laughing uncontrollably.

I growled at him, which only made him laugh even harder.

“Y-you just…” he tried to say while laughing hysterically, “You walked in on Caroline!” he managed to say before laughing even harder. His tears of laughter had made his cheeks wet.

As spectacular as it was to see Kol let go and laugh so carelessly, as he once did when we were human, I narrowed my eyes at him.

“Listen to me, brother,” I growled between my teeth. “You know the doppelganger is off limits.”

His laughter calmed down slightly and he sat up in his bed. “Yes, I know good and well that she is off limits. But Nik, she is no longer human! Therefore, she is completely useless to you. You have no value for her life,” he stated confidently.

I shrugged once. “Perhaps she bares no value now that she is immortal. But she is one of Caroline’s friends and you will not harm her.”

Kol’s lips parted and he scoffed angrily.

“You’re telling me you don’t want me to have justice? To get revenge on those who _killed me_?!” he shouted, standing up. “Has living with all these teenagers truly made you this much of a coward, Nik? Or is it just Mikael’s preconception of you peeking through the cracks?”

I was in front of him within the next second.

“Enough,” I growled. “You think that if you provoke my temper enough, I’ll completely forget about the reason I burst into this house in the first place. Now as I was saying, leave Caroline’s friends alone, or else there will be severe consequences.”

Kol narrowed his eyes and sneered.

“Severe consequences? What will you do? _Dagger me_?” he challenged. “I have felt the horrendously agonizing pain of being burned alive. I have watched my killers from the Other Side as they smiled and hugged their loved ones. I have screamed until my own blood was on my tongue. I have stared death straight in the eyes and then managed to claw my way out of hell. And now that I have returned to the land of the living, my revenge is denied of me.”

“You’re being dramatic,” I scoffed.

“Oh, am I?” he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. “The hiss of a fire as it burns or the crackle of food as it cooks makes my head spin while all I can smell is the scent of my own skin melting. The sun reminds me of when the flames licked across my body. You think Mikael is a terrifying nightmare? You think you’ve endured the worst trauma? You think you know how it feels to be utterly powerless? I assure you that you do not.”

I didn’t bother to mask my surprise at his confession. Even if I had wanted to, I couldn’t have. He had not shown any sign of traumatic stress. But his words were not just shocking, but also alarming. Kol was not a coward. If _he_ was this troubled over the experience, then it must’ve been much more dreadful than he was admitting.

“Learn this, Nik,” Kol said, stepping closer to me, his eyes glinting as he took in my look of shock, “I fear _nothing_. Especially not your pathetic overused threats.”

I finally found the will to gather my thoughts and say, “ _Kol_ …”

He raised his eyebrows at me expectantly. It took me a few moments to collect my thoughts.

“You’re right,” I finally said, pulling a skeptical look from him. “I have not endured the trauma that you have. Which is exactly why I will make you consider the consequences before you think about getting revenge, and I do not simply mean _my_ consequences. You enjoy Caroline’s company, do you not?”

Kol’s eyebrows pulled together as he considered my words.

“Why do I get the feeling that’s a trick question?” he countered.

I shrugged. “Perhaps it is.”

Kol blinked, brow furrowed as he scrutinized my blank expression. After a moment’s hesitation, he answered, “Yes, I enjoy Caroline’s company. What does that have to do with anything?”

“Everything,” I said. “If you hurt Elena, you’re essentially hurting Caroline. Do you think she’d ever wish to see you again if you killed her childhood friend?”

Kol’s eyes shifted to the floor, then back up again.

“I see your point, _brother_ ,” he retorted. “But that does not change the fact that the doppelganger should pay for what she did. I met her when she was human. She would’ve died if it meant saving innocent bystanders. And yet she convinced her brother to drive a stake through my heart, knowing _full well_ that it would kill thousands of vampires that I have turned. How do you justify that?”

I sighed.

“When Elena became a vampire, she changed, much like anyone else who’s been turned,” I told him. “It doesn’t justify what she did, but if you wish to have at least one friend who is not your sibling, I suggest you refrain from killing the doppelganger.”

Kol stared at me seriously for a moment before letting out a laugh. “Sure, because _you_ have more than one friend.”

I raised my eyebrows and shrugged, fighting a grin. “If I think about it for long enough, I’m sure I could remember a few names.”

Kol snorted. “Yeah, _sure_.”


	10. One Hell Of A Spark

Klaus’s POV

Kol and I turned our heads as Caroline appeared at the top of the staircase.

“Darling! How was your little run in with Nik?” he asked with a smirk.

“Bloody,” Caroline answered.

“Really?” Kol countered, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he folded his hands behind his back. “That’s odd. Nik said things got very _wet_.”

I slapped my hand onto Kol’s shoulder and squeezed the muscle hard enough to bruise. Kol winced and let out a quiet, uncomfortable sound. Caroline raised her eyebrows expectantly at him, but he faked a smile in return. She rolled her eyes then and cleared her throat.

“Well, I can’t exactly say that I’m used to people walking in on me. Being an only child does have its perks,” she explained casually.

“Yes, well I suppose living with my siblings has put a damper on my manners,” I said, hoping to explain myself. “I am truly sorry about that. It won’t happen again.”

“Well I’d certainly hope not,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and grinning. “I just wish I’d gotten it on video. It’s really entertaining to see you fall down like Bambi on ice.”

Kol grew confused. “Who’s Bambi?”

I huffed. “It’s in a cartoon.”

“By the way, darling,” Kol asked Caroline, “Why, exactly, were you in our shower? I mean, not that I’m complaining.” He gave her a wink that made me want to poke his eyes out.

Caroline gave him a look that clearly said ‘ _Seriously?_ ’ and then replied. “In case you haven’t noticed, there’s vervain in the town water. And since the only other vervain-clean water is at the Salvatore’s house, I decided this was my better option.”

“Why, afraid you’d get an STD from Damon’s bathroom?” Kol asked with a smirk.

I pressed my lips together tightly. Caroline tried to give him a disapproving look, but failed and laughed once. “Fair point,” she admitted, “but I’m trying to avoid Elena.”

“The emotionless doppelganger?” Kol asked. “Ah, yes. She is quite bothersome, isn’t she?”

”That’s an understatement, Kol,” I told him.

Caroline snorted and answered, “Yeah, I’d say so! She’s a hundred times worse than Katherine!”

Kol winced and made a sour face.

“Oh that’s saying something,” Kol said. “I’ve met Katerina, and I must say, she is one of the most stubborn female vampires I have _ever_ met. And that’s _really_ saying something!” he exclaimed. “There was a time when I was friends with a vampire named Lexi.” He looked proud as he grinned and continued, “She was cunning, strategic, talented, sneaky, powerful – just absolutely _perfect_. Had this _gorgeous_ face and a spectacular body! She never wanted to be more than friends with me, though.” He sighed dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest. “Quite a pity. She actually got my humanity back on several times. She was my _best_ _friend_ …” He turned to give Klaus a hard glare. “The last time I saw her was before Nik daggered me in the early 1800’s.”

I narrowed my eyes at Kol. He ignored me and turned back towards Caroline.

“I taught Lexi everything she knows,” Kol continued. “ _Damn_ I miss her… Hey Nik, you think you could locate her for me?”

“Why? I’m right here.”

All three of our heads turned sharply to gape at the open doorway.

“ _Lexi_?” Kol asked in disbelief, letting out a happy laugh.

“Uh, _yeah_! Who else could’ve survived you for two and a half centuries?” Lexi asked with a smile.

“Would’ve been three and a half centuries if it wasn’t for Nik,” Kol said with a laugh as he ran to pull Lexi into a tight hug.

I sighed again and decided to just let it slide.

“Aw, he’s not _that_ bad,” Lexi said, looking at me over Kol’s shoulder with a grin. I gave her a small smile in return.

Kol pulled away from her and scoffed. “Since when?”

“Well, I met him and Rebekah in the early twenties, thanks to your brother Elijah,” Lexi said with a smile.

I certainly remembered it, too.

Lexi had found me shortly before I met Stefan. Elijah had been taken by her stunning personality, and agreed to help her resolve her worry over Kol. So he brought her to me, knowing that I would be impressed by her fearless nature. I had explained to her that Kol was immobile in a safe and secret place. She demanded that I release him and let her see him again, so I had compelled her to leave and never speak of him or search for him ever again. I guessed now that since Kol had died and then returned from the dead, the compulsion had been broken.

“Wait,” Caroline said with a confused expression. “You’re Lexi Branson, right?”

Lexi turned her gaze and bright smile towards Caroline. “Yes.”

A small line formed between Caroline’s eyebrows as she narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “The same Lexi that was Stefan Salvatore’s closest friend?”

Lexi nodded slowly, her expression going blank.

Caroline’s jaw clenched and she crossed her arms. “Then that means you’re also the same Lexi who was staked by Damon Salvatore.”

Lexi’s demeanor suddenly changed. Her head lowered and her gaze became dark with a twisted smirk.

“Well it seems not all blondes are stupid after all.”

My eyes widened in realization, my lower lip trembling as I realized who was actually standing before us.

“What do you mean _staked_?” Kol asked in an alarmed voice.

Caroline gulped, her eyes becoming as wide as mine. She carefully moved to stand beside me.

“Kol,” she began in a shaky voice. “It’s Silas.”

Silas threw his hands into the air, rolling his eyes and scoffing.

“Well, _of course_! I take it back; blondes really _are_ dumb.”

A threatening growl erupted from my chest.

With a smirk, Silas flashed across the room and came to stand a few inches from my face. My jaw clenched tightly as I gave him a dangerous glare.

“And _you_ still haven’t gotten me that cure,” Silas announced, meeting my glare with a grin.

Even with Lexi’s face, I couldn’t stop the shiver that rolled down my spine.

“What, so that you can raise every supernatural creature?” I asked incredulously. “Every hunter, werewolf, vampire, and hybrid that I have killed with my own two hands? Because if you think that I’m going to just stand by and let you bring back all of my dead enemies, then you’ve got another thing coming, mate.”

Silas’s smirk quickly disappeared, and a cold glare replaced it. “Who says I need your personal consent?”

I let out a laugh, refusing to back down.

“What are you going to do, Silas? Kill me?” I asked doubtfully. “You can make me feel like I’m dying, but you and I both know that you do not possess the white oak stake.”

Silas smiled at me and let out a chuckle.

“Now why would I want to kill you when I can torture you for all of eternity instead?”

My eyes widened slightly and my breathing began to accelerate.

Silas chuckled and took a few steps backwards.

“Now get me the cure before I decide to kill your friends. Starting with the blonde,” he motioned to Caroline and smirked.

I felt my eyes instantly turn yellow and my fangs drop. With an animalistic snarl, I lunged forward.

But Silas vanished.

I spun around to find him standing behind all of us. It was sickening that the witch was using an allusion of Lexi.

“You sure do like showing off your fangs, hybrid,” Silas stated with a grin. “And you’re not burdened by the full moon. You’re not forced to turn into a beast. Let me help you with that.”

I barely had time to be surprised before Silas flicked his wrist and agony was tearing through me. I growled and staggered, then lifted my head and leapt towards Silas again. But he vanished.

Kol scoffed, shaking his head and running his hands through his hair, tugging at the ends.

“I tell you _Silas is dangerous_ ; you ignore everything I say!” he began, growing angrier. “I tell you _not to reveal the hunter’s mark_ ; you kill thousands of vampires! I say _Silas will bring hell on earth_ ; you bloody raise him up and lead him back to Mystic Falls! And on top of all that, you juggle the cure around like it’s _a game_! And again, I will say it: _I bloody told you so_!”

Before I could make a retort, a sharp pain shot through my skull. I gasped and clutched my head. Against my will, every part of my body was commanding me to turn. I breathed heavily, trying to fight it off, and yet feeling something pushing me to give in. My knees collapsed from underneath of me and I caught myself on my palms. I was now on all fours, which just made the feeling intensify.

I growled loudly and heard a distorted voice... _Caroline’s voice_.

“ _Klaus_! Klaus, calm down!” she commanded.

I cried out in pain as my bones began to involuntarily break.

“I will tear his organs out of his stomach and make him choke on it!” I snarled.

My wrist broke and my shoulder popped out of joint at the same time, pulling a shout of anguish from my lips.

“I AM THE ORIGINAL HYBRID! I am not a slave to the moon or _anyone_!”

I groaned loudly as my elbow snapped.

Kol stood by me with a slackened jaw and a fascinated expression. Even after a thousand years, he’d never seen a werewolf turn. And now he was watching his own brother, whose werewolf side had been cursed to stay hidden for those thousand years, change into one of those mysterious beasts. It was a sight Kol had told me he secretly had always yearned to witness, but had secretly been too scared to get close to. After what happened to Henrik, I couldn’t blame him. But now, he seemed slightly intrigued in addition to the pounding of his heart.

Caroline, however, was beginning to panic much more as she knelt in front of me.

“I – I don’t know what to do, Klaus. You have to tell me, I don’t know what to do!” she exclaimed.

I let out an indescribable sound as both of my femurs broke at the same time. My screams echoed throughout the house. I barely opened my eyes to see Caroline’s distressed face.

“Stop, Klaus, _stop_! Just stop turning. Control yourself or something, please,” she begged.

“I _can’t_ ,” I rasped. “It’s Silas. He’s forcing me to turn. It’s too far in; I can’t stop even if I could break through his spell.”

Caroline’s jaw slackened as she looked at me with worry and pity written across her face. I smiled at her, about to make a smug remark about how she must care for me, but was distracted as my ankle broke. I groaned again.

“As much as I would _love_ to watch you turn into a werewolf,” Kol began, coughing to mask the shakiness of his voice, “I’m sure you don’t want claw marks on your newly waxed floors. Perhaps next time, then. Go outside, Fido.”

I looked up and snarled at Kol, my fangs bared and my bright yellow eyes boring into him. He raised his hands in defense, trying to act nonchalant, but his fingers twitched.

I glanced at Caroline one last time before forcing myself to whoosh out the front door and into the woods.

* * *

 

Caroline’s POV

“Which one do you think, darling? _Iron Man_ or _Star Trek_?” Kol asked, staring intensely between the two movie cases.

I rolled my eyes.

“Aren’t you even the least bit worried about him?” I asked skeptically.

Kol scoffed. “Worried? About Nik? Have you _met_ my brother?”

I raised my eyebrows at him.

Kol sighed. “He’s survived against all odds for over a thousand years of being hunted by our father. He’s survived _me_! So don’t worry about your precious Original Hybrid.”

I huffed, but something he said caught my attention.

“ _Your precious Original Hybrid_?” I asked in a sarcastic tone. “Seriously?”

Kol smirked and raised his eyebrows.

“Oh come now, darling! You and I both know you have him wrapped around your little finger,” he stated.

I scoffed. “Yeah, pretty sure you’re wrong about that.”

“Has he killed your werewolf boyfriend yet?” he asked with that annoying smirk.

I hesitated at his question.

“Well… No. But - ”

“Has he killed any of your friends when they betrayed him numerous times? Or even tried to hurt you when you’ve betrayed his trust?”

My mouth opened, but then quickly closed again.

“And what does he do when you’re in danger?” Kol sang.

“He saves me,” I murmured.

Kol smiled at me in triumph. “See! _Wrapped around your little finger_. You could ask him for anything in the entire world and he would see that you had it within the next second. If I was you, I’d be taking advantage of that.”

I laughed.

“You’re kidding, right?” I asked. “I might have Klaus wrapped around my finger, but if I use him or betray him _one more time_ , he’ll hate me. And that’s if I’m lucky. Even if he wouldn’t kill me for it, _I don’t want to_.” Kol narrowed his eyes as I continued. “I hate lying and sneaking around and always being the distraction just so that my friends can try to kill another dangerous creature! I mean, contrary to popular belief, Klaus isn’t _all_ evil.”

“Ah, yes,” Kol said, then pointed a finger at me. “But I’d wager that ninety eight percent of the time he’s proved he isn’t pure evil was for your benefit only… Am I right?”

I hesitated again.

He _was_ right. Every time Klaus did something that showed a shred of his humanity, it was either for me or because of me.

I heard Kol chuckle. “You see! He truly cares for you. You just admitted that he isn’t pure evil, and you also turned down my brilliant idea of tricking him. I have a feeling ‘Lijah would adore you.”

I laughed once. “Oh really? And why is that?”

Kol sighed and set down the DVD’s he’d been holding. “Klaus was a good brother when we were all human. But after a thousand years of slaughtering thousands of people and reveling in his vampirism, the compassionate fire in his heart that used to burn so brightly is no longer alive. Its smoke is black and its ashes are cold. And yet Elijah still believes that the fire can be re-lit. I’ve seen how Nik acts around you, Caroline,” he said, looking at me with a small grin. “You’re one hell of a spark.”


	11. That's What She Said

Caroline’s POV

I sat on one of the leather chairs in Klaus’s living room, thinking about what Kol had just said. I wrung my hands together. A billion questions flew through my mind.

Why had Kol been so honest with me? Did I truly bring out the human in Klaus that existed over a thousand years ago?

Kol came trotting down the stairs, bringing me out of my thoughts.

“Your bags from the bathroom, ma ’lady,” he said with a grin.

He dropped my toiletry bag into my lap, followed by my purse, which was unzipped and slipped off my lap. With quite the commotion, its many contents scattered across the floor.

Kol and I simply stared at the mess on the floor for a moment.

“Oops,” Kol deadpanned.

I sighed and set down my toiletry bag, then dropped to my knees to retrieve the items.

Kol quickly followed suit. He scooped up a handful of lip glosses and looked at them in amusement.

“Why on earth do you need five of these things?” he asked teasingly.

I snatched them from his hands and stuffed them into the purse.

“Because they’re all different colors! And one is specifically for dry lips, FYI,” I told him matter-of-factly.

He chuckled. “Darling, with all due respect, you carry around almost as much junk as Bekah does.”

“It’s not junk,” I defended.

I picked up a scented mini hand sanitizer and tossed it into my bag.

“Where is Rebekah, anyway?” I asked, glancing around the room.

Kol picked up a handful of blonde hair ties and dropped them into my purse.

“She left shortly after you and Nik had your shower slip-n-slide,” he said, smirking wickedly at me. I rolled my eyes. “She told us she was going to The Grill. Probably to see the human boy, I’d wager.”

“You mean Matt?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.

He shrugged.

“Sure, whatever. All I know is that _Matt_ has been off limits since the ball that was held here back when our mother was around. Bekah even threatens to dagger me every time I mention inviting her human over for _a meal_.”

“Wow, I wonder why,” I murmured sarcastically.

Kol raised his eyebrows. “It’s true that Bekah is a feisty one, but I certainly don’t think the human – “

“ _Matt_ ,” I interrupted.

Kol sighed.

“ _Fine_ ,” he surrendered. “I don’t think _Matt_ is an appropriate suitor. But ya’ know what? I’m fine with her dating him, just as long as she doesn’t mess around with _Damon_.”

“Um,” I winced, “Rebekah’s _already_ messed around with Damon.”

Kol shivered in disgust and made a choking sound. “ _Please_ don’t remind me.”

He handed me a compact mirror before saying, “Ya’ know, Stefan and the doppelganger are obviously finished. And with Elena sleeping with Stefan’s own brother and then shutting off her humanity, I think it’s safe to say Stefan deserves someone a bit more faithful and resilient, don’t you think?”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Wait,” I began suspiciously. “Are you suggesting that you want Stefan and Rebekah to have – “

“If you say a word that starts with S and ends with X, I will vomit and then promptly dagger myself.”

“Fine,” I said with a grin. “You want Stefan and Rebekah to have _intercourse_.”

“Ick,” he scrunched up his nose.

“Coitus.”

“ _Please_ stop talking.”

“Copulation.”

“ _Caroline_ ,” he growled.

“Intimacy.”

“I swear, if you do not – “

“Relations.”

“ – stop speaking – “

“Fornication.”

“ – I will vomit and then – “

“ _Love making_.”

“ – I’ll choke on it.”

“That’s what she said,” Caroline teased.

“Ugh,” Kol cringed, shivering in disgust. “Why do you find amusement in putting those images into my mind?”

“Oops,” I mocked. “Seriously though, you ship Stefan and Rebekah?”

“I what?” Kol blinked in confusion.

“Ship,” I repeated. “Meaning you ship them together, like a relationship.”

After a few moments of Kol staying silent while giving me a baffled stare, I huffed and explained, “It means you want Stefan and Rebekah to be together. To date.”

“Oh,” he finally said, although his expression remained perplexed. “Sooo it doesn’t _actually_ involve a boat, right?”

I let out a laugh. “No, there’s not a real boat. But there are ship names.”

“Ship names?” Kol asked.

“Yeah,” I nodded. “You ship Stebekah.”

“ _What_ is that?”

“It’s Stefan and Rebekah’s names combined. That’s their ship name.”

I almost felt sorry for him as his eyes grew wide and uncertain, his expression utterly confused.

“So you can do that with anyone?” he questioned.

“Yep,” I replied. “Like Stefan and Elena combined is Stelena. Matt and Rebekah are Matbekah.”

“Hmm,” Kol said with sudden interest. “So that means you would be a Matbekah and Stelena ship, right?”

“ _Shipper_. But yeah, I guess you could say that,” I answered with a shrug.

“Well then,” Kol said with a growing smirk. “I _ship_ Stebekah, Kalijah, - “

“Kalijah?” I repeated.

“Katherine and Elijah,” Kol answered patiently. “I was quite fond of Elijah’s infatuation with the first doppelganger. Especially since he ticked off Nik in Katherine’s favor,” he said with a grin.

I raised my eyebrows and said, “Alrighty then.”

“So as I was saying,” Kol began, “I _ship_ Stebekah and Kalijah.”

“Got it,” I said with a nod.

There was silence for a few moments.

“Oh,” he said, as if he suddenly remembered something. “And I _ship_ Klaroline.”

I frowned. “Who’s Klaroline?”

“Klaus and Caroline,” he said with a smirk.

I blinked.

“Since when are Klaus and I _a ship_?!” I exclaimed.

“Since now,” he answered confidently.

I scoffed and laughed, giving him a look of disbelief.

“Yeah, sure,” I shot back sarcastically, “cause _that’s_ gonna happen.”

“Oh it will,” he said with so much confidence that I wanted to smack him.

“And why on earth do you think that?” I countered.

“Because after a thousand years of brotherhood with Nik, I’ve learned a very important lesson,” he looked at me and smiled. “Nik always gets what he wants. And he wants you more than anything.”

“Yeah, well unless he compels me, I’m pretty sure I don’t want him back,” I answered.

“Perhaps not,” Kol shrugged. “But Nik can be patient when he wishes to. Eventually, he does always get what he wants.”

“Ya’ know,” I sighed, “What makes you think I don’t want to stick a dagger in your heart just as much as Klaus does?”

Kol smiled despite my threat.

“Come on, darling,” he teased. “We both know I’m far too handsome for you to dagger me.”

“Yeah, _sure_ ,” I answered.

My phone, which was laying on the floor, beeped then.

Kol snatched it up before I could so much as move.

“Hey! That’s mine!”

“Tyler?” Kol said as he stared at the phone screen. “Isn’t that your werewolf boyfriend Nik turned into a hybrid?”

“ _Yes_ ,” I retorted, snatching the phone from his hands. “I haven’t talked to him in forever.”

Kol grinned and muttered, “Some boyfriend he is.”

I opened the message, my smile fading as I read it.

“What’s wrong?” I heard Kol ask. But I wasn’t paying any attention to him. All that I could do was re-read the message.

_Care, I’m going to just come out and say this._

_It’s not working out between us. I’ll probably never have the chance to return to Mystic Falls because of Klaus, which ruins my chances at a life with you._

_I’ve also met someone else who makes me happy and is willing to run with me._

_Don’t be angry at me, be angry at Klaus. This is all on him._

_I’ll see you soon, Care. – Ty_

I blinked, my eyebrows pulled together as I read the message once, twice, three more times.

Kol snapped his fingers, bringing me out of my trance.

“Hello,” he said, waving his hand near my face.

I leaned away from him and let out a heavy breath.

“He dumped me,” I mumbled, staring at the message. “He didn’t even call or leave a voicemail. He just… sent me a breakup text. He dumped me over a _text message_.”

Kol was silent for a few moments, watching my expression carefully.

“Right, well I see only one thing you must decide on,” Kol said. “Do you want me to tear out his heart or decapitate him?”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “ _Kol_ ,” I chastised.

“Right, of course, how rude of me,” he answered with a smile. “ _You_ want to be the one to kill him. It makes sense. When do we start tracking him down?”

“Shut up, Kol,” I snapped.

He raised his hands defensively. “Fine, fine. Sorry, just trying to lighten the mood a bit. “Did he say why he was breaking up with you? I’m assuming it’s the effects of a terrible head injury. Perhaps some brain damage.”

“It’s because of Klaus,” I cut him off. “He said it was because Klaus would kill him if he tried to come back here.”

Kol let out a laugh.

“Well that’s just bloody poppycock!” he exclaimed with a grin and furrowed eyebrows. “I know my brother. If Nik truly wanted your boyfriend dead, Tyler’s limbs would not be connected to his torso. Trust me, I’ve seen it.”

I pondered that for a moment.

“I should’ve seen it coming,” I admitted with a shake of my head. “I mean, I guess I thought about the possibility that he’d move on, but I just, I don’t know, I thought it would be more than just a stupid text message.” I laughed once. “You know, now that I think about it, why didn’t he call me? Does he seriously not even have the guts to hear my voice when he dumps me? I deserve better!”

Kol raised his eyebrows and grinned.

“Damn right, you do,” he said, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Oh. Now it makes sense.”

“What makes sense?” I retorted, bracing myself for some sort of insult.

Kol smiled. “I couldn’t understand why I was so drawn to you,” Kol said with a smile. “But now I do. You remind me of her.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Who?”

“Lexi,” he answered, still smiling. “You have the same fire she always possessed. I saw that for myself the night you came to Grill while Nik and I were there. Which by the way, it wasn’t very kind of you to be Nik’s distraction while your friends daggered me. But you’re extremely good at it.”

“Thanks,” I winced, “I think. And uh, I’m sorry about the whole dagger thing. I hated being Klaus bait, but I didn’t really get much of a choice in the matter. If it makes any difference, I felt guilty for ever distracting Klaus the moment I saw your burnt corpse on Elena’s kitchen floor.”

“Ah,” Kol said, “glad to hear at least _one_ of the members of the Mystic Falls gang felt guilty after I was killed.”

“I – “ I hesitated, letting out a sigh, “I didn’t know what Elena was going to do. I heard that you were trying to kill her and cut off Jeremy’s arms, which is horrible and stupid by the way, but I still didn’t think they would… put a white-oak stake in your heart.”

Kol stared at nothing for a few moments before asking in his normal, cheery tone, “Anyways, how did you know who Lexi was, again?”

“Stefan told me I reminded him of someone,” I told him. “So, later on when I asked him who, he told me all about Lexi. She helped him turn on his humanity a bunch of times. She sounded like a really good person.”

“She was,” Kol agreed.

“Wait a second,” I said, grabbing my phone as something crossed my mind. “Tyler said he’d found someone else. Where is he supposed to find a girl in the Appalachians? Unless...” I trailed off, my mouth falling open.

Kol cocked his head in confusion and furrowed his eyebrows. “Unless what?”

“No way,” I mumbled, standing up immediately. “I bet he slept with that stupid were-slut!”

“ _Who_?” Kol asked.

“Some werewolf named Hayley that I should’ve killed when I had the chance. She snapped my neck and then tricked Klaus into killing all of his hybrids just because professor Shane wanted a sacrifice for Silas! And now Tyler must be hooking up with her! Ugh, I can’t _believe_ him!”

“Hold on,” Kol stood up, raising his hands as he thought. “If she’s the reason Nik killed his hybrids, why isn’t she dead?”

“Why don’t you ask him that question yourself!” I exclaimed. “I absolutely hate her and if Tyler comes back with that slut on his arm, I will scratch out her stupid, big doe-eyes with my nails!”

Kol raised his eyebrows and smiled. “Damn. You really are just like Lexi, darling.”

I huffed and pressed my fingers to my temples.

“You said that she was killed?” he asked.

I nodded once, too irritated to explain the reason _why_ she was staked.

“Huh,” he said, biting his lip for a moment.

“I need a drink,” I groaned. “Back when Bonnie, Elena, and I all got along, we’d get drunk and dance to loud music whenever one of us was in a bad mood.”

Kol blinked. “Get drunk and dance?”

“Don’t judge us!” I snapped, letting out a breath. “It works like magic.”

Kol narrowed his eyes and grinned.

“Like magic?” he repeated.

“Yep,” I said. “Although I’m sure a witch or a vampire could make you forget all your problems indefinitely, while alcohol only works for a short amount of time. Especially when you’re a vampire.”

“Magic can indeed fix many things,” Kol smiled, his eyes glinting mischievously.

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You sound like you’re plotting something.”

“Oh I am,” he said with a wink, walking towards a nearby liquor table. “Why don’t you come back later and bring your witch friend with you? I promise to have lots of alcoholic drinks and loud music when you return.”

I furrowed my eyebrows.

“Okay…” I said hesitantly. “Why are you being nice to me? I mean, I’m friends with the people who killed you.”

“I already answered that question, darling. You remind me of Lexi.”

“Right,” I replied sarcastically. “So I’m your replacement friend, then?”

He shrugged and grinned at me. “I suppose that’s one way of putting it.”

Kol turned his back to me and resumed looking through the bottles in the cabinet.

I gathered my things and left soon after, making a mental list of things to do to keep my mind off of Tyler. First off, I needed a blood bag or two. Second, I needed to tell my mom I wouldn’t be home tonight. Third, I had to call Bonnie and beg her to come with me, despite the fact that Kol would be our host.

Tonight was certainly going to be interesting.


	12. Whatever, Barbeque Boy

Klaus’s POV

For my entire existence, my greatest desire was to awaken the side of me which was spelled to stay dormant. To have the powers of two of the most highly feared creatures on earth: A vampire and a werewolf. To be known by all, feared by all, envied by all… But I highly doubted anyone envied my excruciating pain as Silas forced me to turn.

I felt like a coward as I ran from my own house. It was the same feeling of powerlessness I experienced whenever Mikael would hunt me down.

I disappeared into the woods, stumbling as each of my bones began to break, and wondered if it was an illusion or a spell.

Could Silas truly make me believe I was turning? Could he make me feel every ounce of pain, as well as imagine the loud crunches of my own bones?

Or was it all real? Could Silas cast a spell that forced my animalistic side to take over?

Neither of the possibilities made sense.

I am _the Original Hybrid_. I am not a slave to the moon, and I do not take orders from my enemies. But perhaps that exact thought was the reason why I was in my current predicament. Perhaps this was a reminder from Silas of the fact that he could take control of my mind and body, and I could do absolutely nothing to stop him.

My fangs dropped and I growled ferociously, feeling my now useless clothes tear like a sheet of paper. I was now on all fours.

For a moment, I hoped there were no humans nearby to witness the gruesome scene. But as my skin turned into a thick coat of fur, that thought evolved into a challenge:

 _Let them watch. I’ll kill every last one of them_.

I snarled loudly.

I was now a wolf.

I didn’t worry about the sadistic thoughts that flooded into my mind, for I knew I still had control over myself. The only difference between my vampire and wolf form was that my werewolf side was completely driven by raw instinct and feelings. My emotions became much clearer, and always divided into three simple parts, which were usually equal in strength…

 _Instinct_ : Wanting to mark what is mine and tear apart whoever tries to take it. To show my place as alpha. _The craving for power_ …

 _Anger_ : Ranging from small resentment towards those who have ever gotten in my way, to the absolute hatred towards people like Mikael, Silas… _Tyler_ …

And the part that I sometimes wished was not there, and would never admit existed: _Love_.

The natural sibling-bond and protective instinct that I felt towards Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah. The respect I have for my friends and allies. Whenever I’d turned into a wolf, I was greeted with these emotions. Sometimes one would try to overpower the other. If I was missing Rebekah, I would feel a stronger sense of love as I pictured her face in my mind. If I was angry about something, I’d tear into anything or anyone that came my way.

But I was suddenly thrown into shock as I felt an overpowering rush of a love and could only picture Caroline’s face.

 _Caroline_.

My chest seemed to almost ache at the realization.

_So this is it? This is what it feels like to know that you’ve fallen in love with someone?_

I growled at the sensations and desperately tried to focus my mind on something else. _Anything else._

The wind blew slightly and a wonderful scent filled my lungs. The feeling of love that had been making my legs quake suddenly vanished as I inhaled deeply.

 _Blood_. I could smell it close by.

I ran towards it without hesitation. Birds flew several moments after I flashed by them, squawking and flapping their wings loudly.

I was faster than a bird. I was stronger than a lion.

My glowing yellow eyes scanned the woods as I ran with the silence of a hunter. The smell of blood became stronger as I began to hear its pulsing arteries. I was a bit disappointed as I realized it was a large buck instead of a human.

No matter. I would settle for whatever I encountered that was within a mile near me.

I snarled as I lurched forward, sinking my teeth into the buck’s neck and draining it within seconds. I let its limp body fall to the ground with a thud, and then I ran into a different direction, creeping deeper into the woods.

I felt a stump cut into my foot, causing me to yelp and hold up the bloodied front paw. The pain reminded me of my transformation only a few minutes ago.

In a way, I suppose I should be a bit grateful that my mother casted the spell that turned me into a vampire. If it were not for that, I truly would be a slave to the moon.

* * *

 

Caroline’s POV

If there was one thing that helped ease the pain of a breakup, it was to stay busy. For me personally, this usually involved cleaning everything in the house. And I really do mean _everything_.

But as a vampire with enhanced speed, it was hard to find more things to accomplish.

I had already done everything I could think of.

I swept and scrubbed every floor in the house, and then vacuumed the carpet. I dusted the furniture, scrubbed the windows, cleaned both bathrooms, washed all the dishes, and even did the laundry.

And yet it still wasn’t enough to make it through the entire day.

So I decided to make use of the kitchen. I made dozens of cookies: Chocolate chip, sugar, peanut butter, oatmeal raisin, butterscotch, and cinnamon. Then I baked a lemon cake, a pan of triple chocolate fudge brownies, and an apple pie. A freaking _apple pie_!

It was only after I finished cleaning up the kitchen (for the second time today) that I stopped to look out the window. An orange sunset shone back at me. I let out a sigh as I remembered the reason why I’d been trying to stay busy.

Then with a forced smile, I said to the kitchen, “That’s just his loss. I knew Tyler was a wolf but I didn’t know he was also a mutt.”

My phone began ringing then, and I was holding it the next second. With furrowed eyebrows, I answered the call from the unknown number.

“Hello? Who is this?” I asked.

“The most handsome Mikaelson,” Kol retorted over the phone.

I rolled my eyes and let out a breath.

“I don’t know, Kol,” I teased. “I kinda have a thing for a well-dressed man with an extensive vernacular.”

“Ugh,” he pretended to choke. “I just ate someone, darling. Don’t make me vomit and waste good blood.”

“Ew.”

“You’re a vampire, Caroline,” Kol sighed heavily. “You sink your teeth into human’s necks and then drink their blood, and you’ll continue to do so until the end of time so I suggest you get used to it now. Hmm?”

I scoffed.

“The party is about to begin, darling. Are you coming or not?” he asked.

I glanced around for a moment, contemplating his offer.

Was I really going to do this? Hang out with one of the oldest, most reckless vampires on the planet?

“Pleaaaase!” Kol whined pathetically on the other end of the line.

Apparently, I am.

With a sigh, I finally caved in.

“Ok, fine,” I said. “Be there in 10 minutes.”

“Don’t forget to bring the little witch,” he sang. “It wouldn’t be a proper post-breakup party if your best friend isn’t there, now would it?”

I bit my lip and then groaned. “Ugh, fine. But if she gives you an aneurysm, don’t come crying to me about it! And don’t you _dare_ hurt her!”

I could practically hear his smile as he answered in a suspiciously cheerful tone, “I give you my word as a gentleman, darling.”

I ended the call and muttered to myself, “ _’Gentleman’_ my fangs.”

* * *

 

I only had to knock once before Kol flung the front door open with _way_ too much enthusiasm.

“Caroline!” he greeted me with a smile, motioning for me to walk past him. “Do come in.”

His eyes flickered behind me, landing on Bonnie, and his smile grew mischievously wider.

“Bonnie Bennett!” he said, smiling widely. “It’s a pleasure.”

Kol sent her a sultry wink. Bonnie responded by rolling her eyes and giving him a look that could kill.

“If you even so much as _think_ about hurting me, I will desiccate you faster than you can show me your fangs,” she stated calmly with a smirk of her own.

“Don’t worry, little witch,” he said, leaning against the door frame. “If I lay a hand on you, it’ll be because you begged me to.”

She scoffed and shoved past his shoulder. “Yeah, how bout’ _no_.”

Kol shut the door and stuck out his bottom lip at Bonnie.

“And here I thought you came here to see my handsome face,” he said with a dramatic sigh.

Bonnie crossed her arms defiantly and gave him a narrow-eyed stare.

“I’m not here for you, I’m here for my best friend,” she stated firmly. “And if you start with the whole ‘ _I’m an Original so you should be afraid of me’_ , I’ll give you an aneurysm that’ll bring you to your knees. _Again_.”

“Damn, Caroline was right,” Kol replied with a smirk. “You went straight for the aneurysm violence. I guess it’s not so terrible, though. At least you’re thinking about me on my knees.”

Bonnie didn’t blink as she flicked her wrist and broke Kol’s ankle. He collapsed with a groan of pain.

I tried not to laugh, but failed miserably.

“Still feel like making a dirty joke?” she challenged with a smug look.

Kol laughed, his eyes sparkling with glee.

“Feistier than ever, darling,” he said, still smiling like he knew a secret. “I _like it_.”

And there on his knees before a witch that could give him a fate worse than death, the moron had the audacity to _wink_.

* * *

 

“So!” Kol began, clapping his hands together and rubbing them in anticipation. “Caroline, darling, how about you turn on some music while I get the drinks? And I could use some help from you, little witch,” he said with a quirk of an eyebrow.

Bonnie gave him a horrified look at the sound of the nickname.

Kol simply smirked at her and trotted into another room. Bonnie followed closely behind him, muttering something about daggers.

I pulled my MP3 player from my bag and flashed to the stereo system, plugging it in and playing Lana Del Rey’s _Summertime Sadness_. As the first few notes began, I closed my eyes and began to sway with the music.

_Kiss me hard before you go. Summertime sadness._

_I just wanted you to know, that baby you’re the best._

The sound of Kol and Bonnie’s voices made me open my eyes again. They had managed to carry 4 bottle of bourbon each, and Kol was also carrying three glass cups between his fingers. They set everything on the coffee table.

I felt my eyebrows pull together as I heard their argument.

“I didn’t want Silas to kill us all, darling! I just thought that if I got rid of you, it would stop you lunatics from raising him up, but apparently I only made you find him faster.”

“Well maybe if you hadn’t been so murderous, we would’ve actually valued your opinion!” she sassed.

Kol rolled his eyes and flung his hands into the air as he exclaimed, “Darling, I’m sorry! It was just, you know, collateral damage!”

I snorted and muttered, “Yeah, I’ve heard _that one_ before.”

“Collateral damage? You almost _killed me_!” Bonnie told him.

“ _Almost_ ,” he repeated, pointing a finger at her and then pouring himself a drink. “But I _didn’t_. Because you brought me down onto my knees, little witch,” he said with a wink.

Bonnie’s jaw clenched.

“Stop calling me that,” she commanded.

“Why? Afraid it’s too personal?” Kol asked with that same smirk, taking a sip of bourbon. I noticed that he seemed to be inching closer to her by each passing second.

“No, I just hate it when someone that I don’t like gives me a nickname,” she snapped back.

“Fine,” Kol said, raising his hands in surrender. “How about we make it even and you get to give _me_ a nickname?” He said, raising his eyebrows at her expectantly and taking another large sip of his drink.

Bonnie pursed her lips for a moment before breaking out into a mischievous grin. “Ok, barbeque boy.”

Kol choked on his drink. I bit my lip to keep from laughing while Bonnie stared at him with a victorious smile.

Kol coughed a few times and licked his lips, giving her an icy glare. He took a step towards Bonnie, narrowing his eyes and giving her a slightly amused yet dangerous look.

“You do realize that I could snap your fragile little neck like a toothpick, right?” he asked in a calm and threatening voice.

Bonnie kept grinning at him as she lifted her chin defiantly.

“You do realize that I can give you an aneurysm that’ll knock your feet out from under you _again_ , right?” She shot back.

Kol’s smile slowly returned.

“Yes, and that’s just one more reason why I like you,” he answered in a confident voice again.

I laughed loudly.

Bonnie’s smile fell and she rolled her eyes at him.

“This is gonna’ be a _long_ night,” I said with an amused smile.

Kol grinned back at me, but then his smile fell as he heard the song that was playing. His eyebrows pulled together.

“ _What_ is this?” he asked disgustedly.

I cocked an eyebrow at him. “It’s Lana Del – “

“No, I meant _why_ _are you listening to this_?” he said, cutting me off.

I frowned and asked, “What’s wrong with it?”

He sighed and walked towards the MP3 player, quickly changing the song.

“This is depressing, darling. When I said _listen to music_ , I meant something besides the sad crap.”

An electric guitar suddenly came across the speakers. Kol bobbed his head slightly to the beat, setting down the MP3 player and giving Bonnie and me a satisfied smile.

_Wide awake, my mistake, so predictable._

_You were fake, I was great, nothing personal._

_I’m walking, who’s laughing now?_

Kol handed each of us a drink and emptied his glass in one take, filling it immediately afterwards.

“Um… Not that I’m concerned about your well-being, but shouldn’t you be taking it a little bit slower than that?” Bonnie asked curiously.

Kol put a hand over his heart and sighed dramatically. “I knew you were in love with me!” he said. Bonnie shook her head at him and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. “Thank you for asking, little witch, but I’m over a thousand years old. I’m gonna’ need at least five of these full bottles to get me sing to karaoke in the wrong key and make a fool of myself.”

Bonnie finally broke into a smile and let out a chuckle.

“I would pay to see that,” she told him.

I drank the entire glass and raised it into the air.

“So would I,” I said matter-of-factly.

Kol flashed by me, filling my drink, and then downing all of his in the next second. Bonnie followed suit and walked towards me to the beat of the song.

_I’m gonna’ break your little heart, watch you take the fall,_

_laughing all the way to the hospital._

_Cause’ there’s nothing surgery can do,_

_when I break your little heart in two!_

By the time we had played three songs, we had already finished the first bottle of bourbon. Bonnie was acting hilarious already, and I was feeling lightheaded. Kol didn’t seem to be fazed, however.

Bonnie raced towards the MP3 player.

“We _have_ to play this one, Care!” she exclaimed with a smile, cheeks flushed and eyes gleaming.

I finished my cup of bourbon as she hit play, then began laughing hysterically as I heard the familiar beat. With a bottle in each of our hands which we used as microphones, Bonnie and I ran to the middle of the room and began to dance and sing loudly with each other.

_You change your mind like a girl changes clothes._

_Yeah, you PMS like a bitch, I would know._

_And you always think, always speak critically._

_I should know that you’re no good for me!_

_Cause’ you’re hot, then you’re cold. You’re yes, then you’re no._

_You’re in, then you’re out. You’re up, then you’re down._

_You’re wrong when it’s right. It’s black, and it’s white._

_We fight, we break up. We kiss, we make up._

_(You!) You don’t really wanna’ stay, no!_

_(You!) But you don’t really wanna’ go, oh!_

_You’re hot, then you’re cold! You’re yes then you’re no!_

_You’re in, then you’re out! You’re up then you’re down!_

Kol suddenly joined us with a bottle in his hand as well, mimicking our girly dancing with an over exaggerated swaying of his hips. We laughed at him, all of us taking large sips from our bottles.

I could feel my head buzzing from the alcohol already, and yet the night had barely begun.

* * *

 

A half an hour later and there were empty bottles of bourbon everywhere (mostly Kol’s doing), along with our cups that we had smashed on the floor. (Kol started that, too.)

Bonnie was lying on the couch, since her legs had given out on her, and was nearly unconscious.

I, who had consumed _at least_ two bottles on my own, could barely form a proper sentence. But I was still dancing in the center of the room with Kol.

Kol, who had quickly gone through eight bottles and was now on his ninth, was right there with me, inventing hilarious dance moves. He was slurring terribly, and with each drink from his bottle, he became more carefree and _totally_ random.

 _Another One Bites the Dust_ by Queen began blaring through the speakers. Kol and I put our hands in the air and shook our hips to the beat. (At this point in the night, we’d obviously lost all sense of reason.)

_And another one gone, and another one gone._

_Another one bites the dust!_

_Hey, I’m gonna’ get you too. Another bites the dust!_

Kol suddenly became an expert air guitarist during the guitar solo. I laughed at him and followed suit, swinging my hair like I thought I was a rock star. For all I knew, I could’ve been one and just forgotten after my (Twentieth? Thirtieth?) sip of alcohol. Which apparently wasn’t only bourbon, since it’d gotten boring after an hour and we’d resorted to Vodka shots.

Bonnie pointed at us and laughed hysterically from the couch.

“Kol, you need long rock-star hair!” Bonnie exclaimed in a slurred voice.

Kol didn’t stop dancing as he looked up and pointed back at her.

“Yessss, I most certainly do!” he exclaimed. “I think Bekah may have wigs upstairs!”

Kol suddenly raced up the stairs, tripping nearly ten times. As he reached the top, he fell flat on his face. “Damn you, gravity!!!” he screamed.

Bonnie and I laughed at him as he then scrambled to his feet and flashed into a room. I could hear vases crashing onto the floor and dressers falling over every once in a while.

I pulled a barely coherent Bonnie off the couch, despite her groans of protest. Once on her feet however, we bobbed our heads and sang in loud slurred voices.

“Shiver me timbers!!!” Kol screamed from upstairs.

Bonnie and I turned towards his voice, watching as he came running down the hallway and towards the staircase. He was wearing a blonde wig that presumably belonged to Rebekah.

I laughed and grabbed my phone out of my pocket, hitting the record button.

Kol stopped at the top of the staircase to do a rock star pose with his tongue sticking out.

“Rock and roll, ye’ fellow pirates!” he shouted. “Uh, oh! Here comes the kraken! ABANDON SHIP!!!” He raised his arms above his head and _literally_ did a dive towards the staircase. He wound up landing right on his face, tumbling loudly down the rest of the stairs.

Bonnie and I collapsed with laughter.

As Kol finally landed on the floor with a disturbingly loud thump, he groaned loudly. His limbs were at odd angles and his face was squished against the floor. He suddenly pointed a crooked finger at us.

“Ladies and witches, no need to worry! I am an Original, and therefore I will heal! But shh, don’t tell anybody about my vampire super powers. Elijah said he’d turn me into a eunuch if I told anyone.” He suddenly pulled up his arms and folded his hands, crawling towards us on his knees with a pleading expression on his face. “Please, please, PLEEEEAAAAASE don’t tell Elijah! I don’t want to be a eunuch! I love little Kol! He’s my most trustworthy companion! We’ve been friends since I was a teenager! I greet him every single day and make him happy every single night!”

Bonnie and I clutched our stomachs and laughed even harder.

Kol’s bottom lip quivered.

“It’s not funny!” He yelled, slamming his fist onto the floor. “How would you like it if someone chopped off your lady parts?!”

This only made us laugh harder.

Kol huffed and got off the floor, flashing towards the MP3 player and stumbling over his own feet. _Can’t Hold Us_ by Macklemore began playing.

I turned off the recording, or at least attempted to, and shoved the phone into my purse. Then, after going through my entire purse twice and somehow managing to forget what I was looking for both times, I finally remembered and grabbed one of the blood bags I had brought, tossing it at Kol.

“Here, Original vampire. Sober up! You’re more drunk than I am,” I garbled. “And believe me, I am _drunk_!” I waved my arms around in the air to prove my point, but quickly fell onto my butt next to the nearly unconscious Bonnie.

Kol walked towards me with a grin, snatching the blood bag and saying, “Well if you insist!”

He emptied it within seconds, letting out a pleased moan (and whether Bonnie would remember or admit it later on, she giggled at the sound). He then tossed the empty bag to the ground, along with his wig, and offered me his hand. I took it without hesitation and stood up, trying to regain my balance. When I finally did, I let go of Kol and began dancing as best as my wobbling legs would allow me to.

Kol turned towards Bonnie and offered his hand with a crooked smile. She smiled at him flirtatiously, reaching up and taking on of his hands. He pulled her up and spun her into his arms.

She laughed wholeheartedly and placed a hand on his shoulder. Kol simply grinned down at her, obviously soberer since emptying the blood bag.

“See. I told you you’d fall in love with me,” he stated confidentially.

Bonnie snorted.

“Well I don’t know about love, but I will admit that you’re smooth, Mr. Gorgeous Accent,” she said in a slurred voice.

He grinned at her.

“You think my accent is gorgeous?” he asked, his voice serious.

She giggled and nodded at him, causing him to smile widely.

Bonnie suddenly began to lean forward, glancing down at his lips. Kol leaned towards her, his lips an inch away from hers, and -

Bonnie’s eyes closed and she slumped onto him, passed out from all the drinks.

Kol’s jaw dropped in disappointment.

“Oh, come on!” he screamed out in frustration.

I laughed and exclaimed, “You almost get kissed by Bonnie Bennett and then she falls asleep! I guess you took too long, grandpa.”

He narrowed his eyes at me and scooped Bonnie’s limp body into his arms, taking her to the couch and placing her onto it gently. He disappeared and came back with a blanket, which he spread over top of her sleeping form.

“Aww!” I said, closing my eyes and lifting my bottle towards my lips. What can I say? It’d become a force of habit in the past few hours.

Suddenly, the bottle was being snatched out of my hands.

“Hey!” I protested.

“Alright, darling,” Kol said with a sad smile. “As much fun as I’m having with a drunk Caroline, I’m afraid you might actually die from the alcohol intake. And then Nik would kill me.”

I scoffed at him as he made me sit down on the couch beside him.

“But I’m a _vampire_! I’ll come back to life,” I insisted, reaching towards the bottle in his hands. He quickly yanked it out of my reach and shook his head at me.

“Yeah, you being a vampire doesn’t make a difference. Nik would still kill me. If I was _really_ lucky, I’d just get a dagger.”

I sighed.

“Whatever, barbeque boy,” I told him with a sloppy grin.

He narrowed his eyes at me as he held out a blood bag he’d retrieved who-knows-when.

“I would never hurt you, darling, but Bonnie is the only being on earth who can call me that and remain alive to tell the tale,” he told me with a dangerous grin.

I rolled my eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You’ll hunt me to the ends of the earth and then kill me Mikaelson style. Nickname repealed,” I told him sarcastically with a sigh.

I grabbed the blood bag, popped off the cap, and sipped it slowly, savoring the taste.

A white line on Kol’s arm caught my attention. I pulled my lips from the bag and traced a finger over the mark.

“Hey, what’s this? I know you jumped down a flight of stairs but I thought you said you’d heal!” I insisted.

He gave me a confused look, glancing at his arm.

“Oh, that’s from when I was a human,” he said quietly, his gaze becoming distant. “It was a year before we were turned into vampires. Mikael got angry at Nik because he made a picture for mother’s birthday. Nik’s intentions were purely innocent when he painted a blonde werewolf he had seen once during a full moon. But he had no idea that Mikael suspected our mother’s affair. Our father ran at Niklaus in a blind fit of rage and drew his sword. I jumped in front of Nik and the tip of the sword caught my arm. It was terrible. I was bleeding so much that everyone thought I was going to die. But I told them not to worry, that I was far too stubborn to let a simple wound kill me.”

Kol chuckled at the memory and continued.

“Nik dressed the wound every day for that entire year. He stayed next to my bed, always bringing me whatever I asked for. There was one night that he even brought the girl I fancied to me. He insisted that he could distract the family long enough for me to get some action with her, but I just laughed at him and told him he was mad.”

Kol smiled, still gazing into the distance.

“I would’ve died if it weren’t for him… After I got better and no longer needed to wear a bandage, Nik begged me to help him find the mysterious blonde wolf on the next full moon. He wanted to know why such a simple thing had angered father so much. But I refused. I was too afraid of what we would discover, and even more so of what Mikael would do to us if we were caught. So Nik asked Henrik instead.”

My mouth formed an O as I realized where this was going.

“That was the night Henrik was killed,” I whispered, as if that would make him feel less pain from the memory.

But Kol just nodded.

“It should’ve been me, Caroline,” he murmured, voice becoming thick. “All along, it should’ve been me who was killed that day. Not Henrik. He was far too innocent, far too young. I would’ve gladly taken his place. Nik would’ve done the same, but he almost died with Henrik anyway. The one and only reason the werewolves left him alone was because they could sense he was one of their kind.”

As I finished off the blood bag, I could feel my mind becoming clearer.

The sound of Kol swallowing thickly brought my attention back to him.

“Don’t get me wrong, though,” he said with a heavy breath, forcing a smile onto his face. “I’m not suicidal or depressed or anything, just remembering. That one scar always reminds me of how close me and Nik used to be. But um, anyways. How about you? I highly doubt Miss Mystic Falls has any skin defects!” he teased me, trying to lighten the mood.

“Miss Mystic Falls? How did you know that?” I asked him suspiciously.

Kol chuckled.

“Nik is infatuated with you. He may have mentioned it once or twice. Or twenty times. I’ve lost count by now,” he answered with a nonchalant shrug.

I laughed and pulled down the shoulder of my shirt, showing him some of the faint, teeth-shaped scars littered across my shoulders where Damon had bitten me while I was human.

“Well, you’re wrong,” I told him.

His amused expression instantly vanished as his gaze fell upon the scars.

“What happened to you?” he asked in a freakishly calm voice.

“I was human, too,” I explained. “Young, stupid, selfish, in dire need of any form of attention. So when a tall, dark, and handsome man came along, I dove at the opportunity without even batting an eye. Turns out Mr. Right was actually Mr. Wrong-with-super-sharp-fangs.”

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“To put it bluntly,” I explained, “he compelled me to be his sex toy and blood bag.”

Kol’s face became more furious as I told him the story. For some reason, though, I ignored his anger and continued.

“I was stupid and worthless to him, and he made sure that he told it to my face. I understand it a bit more now. He didn’t have his humanity switch on at the time. But he’s changed. And obviously Elena forgave him for everything he did, so I decided to forgive him, too.”

“Wait… What do you mean, _Elena forgave him_? It couldn’t possibly be the ripper my brother spoke of, could it?” he asked angrily.

“What? No! No, of course not!” I exclaimed, shaking my head with a humorless laugh. “Stefan would _never_ do that to me.”

Kol blinked, his face blank. _Too blank._

Why, why, _why_ had I slipped and mentioned Elena?

“Damon,” Kol stated in a bitter voice.

I winced, remembering Kol’s distaste for Damon and realizing that I was only adding to it.

“I mean, in all honesty, I don’t know why you sounded so surprised,” I said, as if it would help the situation. “It’s not like it’s the most horrific thing he’s ever done.”

“Oh really? And what is the most horrific thing he’s ever done?”

I involuntarily let out a laugh, but it turned into an awkward smile. “Well, um, honestly?”

Kol nodded.

“Uh, let’s see here,” I began. “Turned Matt’s sister into a vampire because he was bored, killed Jeremy a few times, hurt Elena, killed Tyler’s uncle, turned Bonnie’s mother into a vampire – “

“He did _what_?” Kol hissed.

“Killed Stefan’s best friend in front of him, tried to kill – “

“He killed his brother’s best friend?” Kol repeated, eyebrows raised.

“Yeah, Lex – “ I froze, horrified as I realized I’d screwed up _badly_. So, _so badly._

Kol’s lips parted and I was sure I saw his fangs peek out from behind them. The veins under his eyes rippled and he was clenching his fists so hard that it looked like his bones would pop out of his skin.

“Caroline,” he ground out from between his teeth, “tell me everything. _Now_.”

I gulped and sucked in a shaky breath.

“It was about a year ago when I was still human,” I replied. “Damon had been killing a bunch of people in Mystic Falls and needed a vampire to blame it on. It just so happened that Lexi was in town to celebrate Stefan’s birthday with him. Damon exposed Lexi as a vampire and let everyone believe she was the one responsible for the murders. And then when she tried to escape and fight back, Damon put a stake into her heart. To make it even worse, he did it when he knew Stefan was watching. Damon still doesn’t regret it.”

Kol’s expression could only be explained as murderous.

“ _Damon Salvatore_ ,” he hissed, “staked _Lexi_ for _nothing_?!” he shouted. “Why would he kill her for no reason and right in front of – “

Kol stopped and growled loudly, suddenly flashing across the room. He punched a vase with all of his strength. It shattered into thousands of pieces and flew across the room. Glass shards stuck into the walls and covered the floor.

I cringed and glued my eyes to the floor, terrified of what I’d done.

With one more tug at his hair, Kol stalked towards the door and flung it open.

“Where are you going?” I called out in a nervous voice.

“To the Salvatore house,” he said in deadpan voice.

“Why?” I asked, cringing because I already knew the answer.

“To play the grim reaper for a night. Somebody’s about get a _very_ rude awakening,” he growled venomously.

I was frozen on the couch as the front door slammed, shaking the house.

With widened eyes and parted lips, I looked at nothing in particular and said, “… Uh oh.”


	13. Stare At Inappropriate Things

Klaus’s POV

I had spent the entire day roaming the forest. It’s unclear to me exactly how many miles I had ran or how many animals (and humans) I had ripped apart. The entire day of letting my wolf instincts take over seemed to be nothing but a blur in my mind; Probably because I didn’t care if I remembered it or not. I had more important things to think about then how many deer I had decapitated.

“Ouch!” I exclaimed as another briar raked across my bare thigh.

Glancing down at my leg, I couldn’t even tell which scratch was the newest. They all seemed to blend in with each other because they hadn’t healed yet. I might be an Original, but transitioning to a werewolf had definitely taken its toll on my body. My muscles ached and any bruises or cuts healed slowly. It didn’t matter that I had consumed a large amount of blood; my body was exhausted.

My mind, however, seemed to be more alert than before. But the only thing I could think about was getting home and calling Caroline. It’s quite rude to leave your guest on such a short notice. Especially after barging in while she’s taking a shower, getting blood all over the floor, and then turning into a savage beast without being able to control it.

No matter. I’ve done worse.

I held out my arms to examine the rest of myself. A few spots of blood, which were certainly not my own, still remained on my skin. I was covered in sweat and dirt, and I smelled like –

Well, like I had spent all day running in the woods. (Obviously.)

I wrinkled my nose at my own odor and mentally put “take a shower” as priority number one on my list of things to do.

Priority number two was to put on clothes. I was thankful it was pitch black, because I was as natural as a newborn child. And by natural, I mean completely naked.

I ran a hand through my messy hair, pulling out a broken twig with a leaf on the end. If a human saw me in my current state, they’d think I was a mad-man that had finally emerged from his hidden cave.

Well, at least I wasn’t foaming at the mouth.

I sighed in relief as my house came within view. Again grateful for the darkness, I was nothing but a nude blur as I scurried to the back door. Just as my hand reached for the handle, I heard the front door slam so hard that the walls shook. I quirked an eyebrow as I heard Kol stomping angrily away from the house.

 _Well that was strange,_ a part of me thought worriedly. But then again, of course it was strange. It’s _Kol_ we’re talking about.

I shook my head and walked into the house, silently closing the back door. From the foyer, I could see the glow of the living room lights that Kol must’ve left on. A song was blasting through the stereo. The sultry beat had me bobbing my head a few times, but I quickly snapped out of it as I waked out of the foyer and through the living room.

_So hot, out the box, can we pick up the pace?_

_Turn it up, heat it up, I need to be entertained._

_Push the limit, are you with it? Baby, don’t be afraid._

_Imma’ hurt ya’ real good, baby._

 

Just as I reached the bottom of the stair case, however…

“Woah!” someone gasped from behind me.

I spun around instantly, ready to attack, and came face to face with one of the leather chairs. There sat a wide eyed Caroline, her jaw almost hitting the floor. But her eyes weren’t on my face.

I tried desperately not to laugh as I realized what had happened; she had turned around in her seat and seen my rear end, but when I had turned around, she had gotten a view of more than what she wanted to see.

Or perhaps _exactly_ what she wanted to see.

I knew the gentlemanly thing to do would’ve been to exit the room immediately and act as if nothing had happened. But Caroline’s mixed expression of shock, confusion, (and lust?) just made me impossibly more confident.

So instead of running up the stairs in shame and embarrassment like I probably should have, I smirked at her, cocking my head to the side and staring her down.

“Like what you see, love?” I asked, emphasizing each word in a deep voice.

I could hear her thick gulp. She blinked and forced her eyes to look at my face.

“Nope, n-not really,” she stammered, her voice cracking several times.

I grinned even wider.

“Well your eyes speak otherwise, sweetheart. And I’d judge from your expression that you don’t _want_ to like what you see, when in reality, you want it more than you’d like to admit to yourself,” I told her confidently.

She rolled her eyes, but her gaze flickered across my chest and abdomen for a fraction of a second.

I caught it and chuckled.

“If you want to stare, love, then perhaps you’d care to join me for a shower? Ya’ see, there’s this place that I can’t reach, and I’d really appreciate it if you would just – “

“Klaus!” she shrieked in embarrassment, covering her face and groaning.

The chorus of the song blared across the speakers then.

_Oh! Do you know what ya’ got into? Can you handle what I’m ‘bout to do?_

_Cause it’s about to get rough for you. I’m here for your entertainment._

I pursed my lips, but couldn’t help but smirk as she peeked from between her fingers and winced as she realized I was still standing in the same place

The poor girl’s face was bright red, but that didn’t stop me from continuing my antics.

“If you’d like, we could dance,” I suggested. “It’s just that most dance partners match, so either I need to go put on clothes, or you need to – “

“Oh, just go put on some freaking clothes already!” she wailed, flopping into the couch face first.

“If that’s truly what you’d prefer,” I replied with a wide smile, then turned and walked up the stairs. Slowly.

After a few seconds, I heard Caroline groan loudly from the couch.

“You’re not even gonna vamp-speed into your room?!” she shrieked. “ _Seriously_?”

“Oh come on, love. It doesn’t bother me if you like to stare at inappropriate things,” I answered, glancing over my shoulder with a smug grin.

Sure enough, her eyes were opened and she was no longer admiring the fabric of the couch.

I chuckled as I walked into my bedroom, about to make a b-line for my bathroom (I was in desperate need of a shower) when I heard Caroline flash up the stairs and stop just outside my door.

“Did you see Kol when you snuck inside to give me a heart attack?” she asked, her back to the door and arms folded as she leaned against the frame.

I shrugged and answered, “I thought he would’ve grabbed a bite to eat and then returned with dessert. Pardon the pun, sweetheart. And I am truly sorry to appear rude, but I must leave your company to take a shower. You have a personal invitation to join me, of course, but – “

“I heard Kol say something right before he left,” she said, ignoring my remark.

“Did you stay here all day?” I asked as I noticed a thorn in my hip and pulled it out with a grimace.

“No. It’s a long story, but Bonnie and I – “

“Ah, yes. I thought I saw someone passed out on the couch,” I said, plucking another thorn from my bicep.

Caroline sighed. “Yes, Klaus, she is unconscious. We all got drunk and – “

“Pardon, love?” I asked, flashing behind her and tugging her chin towards me to meet her eyes. “ _You_ got drunk in my own home without _me_?”

Caroline huffed and pulled her face from my hands.

“Yeah, ok? We got wasted! And I told you that it’s a long story! But it will be unnecessarily longer if you keep interrupting me,” she told me matter-of-factly.

I chuckled.

“Then by all means, love, do continue,” I told her, watching her curiously.

“Ok, so since I was drunk, the conversation is really hazy. But right before Kol left, he said something about _the grim reaper_ and how he was going to someone’s house. And he looked really, really angry! The problem is that I can’t remember hardly anything that happened before that, but we were exchanging sad stories and I think I told him something about Lexi. Ugh, I drank _way_ too much!” she groaned.

I sighed and slipped on a pair of dark jeans and a t-shirt.

“Looks like we’re not going to get that shower after all,” I said in mock disappointment as I pulled on a pair of boots.

“What?” Caroline asked curiously.

“Oh don’t worry, love, you can come in now,” I announced. Caroline cautiously peeked into the room.

“What are you doing?” she asked, watching me as I slipped all my necklaces over my head.

“Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to find my destructive brother before he kills the entire town. That is, if he hasn’t already done it.”

“How will you find him?” she asked, her eyebrows smushed together adorably.

I shrugged in response. “Just follow the trail of mangled corpses and – “

Her face turned white.

“I’m only jesting,” I said with a chuckle. “I’ve known Kol for my entire life. I could pick out his scent in the middle of New York City.”

* * *

 

The cool night air blew against my face as I stepped out the front door. I’d barely sucked in a breath before I already knew which way Kol had gone.

I ran in the direction of his scent for less than a minute when I stopped to check my surroundings.

Well that was quite peculiar. His scent stopped right outside of the… _Oh no_.

I could see Kol’s shadow lurking around the outside of the Salvatore’s boarding house. He was glaring at someone in the living room through one of the windows. I listened carefully to the sounds inside of the house.

“Well then, excuse me, Stefan,” I heard Damon say in defense. “I only made her turn off her emotions because she was in so much pain! I didn’t get much of a choice in the matter, now did I?”

I heard a drink being poured.

“We could’ve found another way, Damon!” I heard Stefan retort, his voice extremely distressed. “Now look where she’s at! We can’t get her humanity back on no matter how hard we try. Elena could spend the next hundred years or more hurting the people she loves the most, only to wake up one day and realize what she’s done. Knowing her, she’ll want to kill herself out of guilt!”

“Boys, boys,” Elena cut in. The malice and sarcasm in her voice made her sound impossibly similar to Katerina. I held back a growl. “There’s no need to worry about poor little Elena. I’m a vampire now. I don’t need you two telling me what to do, what not to do, and trying to force me into turning on the emotions that I don’t want any part in. Oh, and don’t forget that I will start killing people if you try to give me that cure.” I heard her sigh. “So, on a less broody note, who wants to find a late night snack?” she asked cockily.

Stefan scoffed.

“Hey, there’s an idea,” Damon said encouragingly. “I mean, why not? Besides, I haven’t fed from the vein in weeks. Hmm, I think I’m in the mood for a blonde.”

I had become so preoccupied with their conversation that I almost failed to notice Kol stepping into the room with them.

“Really, now? A blonde?” I heard Kol ask venomously. “I bet that’s your favorite kind to feed from, huh Damon? Do you like to torture them? To hear them screaming? Do you like ripping away their innocence and scarring them for life? Do you compel all of them to simply forget about you? Or better yet, do you stake them?”

I cursed under my breath, wondering why Kol was even here right now. Was he still drunk?

“The hell are you doing here?” Damon asked him with distaste.

“I’m here for revenge, Damon. I was almost willing to let the whole _hurting human Caroline_ thing slide, but now I know more than enough to decide whether or not I want to let you live. Did you know that Lexi Branson was my best friend? And yes, Stefan, I realize she was yours as well. So then why didn’t you kill your precious brother Damon the second he drove a stake through her heart?”

“Because he’s my _brother_ ,” Stefan replied, his voice sounding weak.

Kol laughed menacingly. “Well, he certainly isn’t mine.”

I heard Kol flash forward and pick Damon up by the throat. I dashed into the house without hesitation.

“Kol!” I shouted. All heads turned towards me. “Let him go,” I growled.

“No,” he snarled back, turning his dark eyes back towards the older Salvatore. “Sorry Damon, but the odds are certainly not in your favor.”

“Kol, think. If you kill Damon, then Stefan will be very unhappy. And an unhappy Stefan equals an unhappy Caroline,” I insisted, trying to buy some time.

Stefan gave me a confused glance, as if he was trying to figure out why I was helping him.

“Am I the only one who got The Hunger Games reference?” the doppelganger asked, looking around at us. “You guys are so stupid,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Kol suddenly dropped Damon to the floor and turned his fiery eyes towards Elena.

“No, but you’re stupid for speaking,” Kol told her.

He flashed in front of her, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her to his eye level. She choked slightly, but still managed to laugh at him.

“What are you gonna’ do, Kol? Kill me because I’m the baby vampire who sent you to The Other Side?” she asked him hoarsely, still smirking.

“No,” he replied, glaring into her emotionless eyes. “I’m going to do just the opposite.”

In a voice as cold as stone, Kol’s words echoed throughout the silent room.

“ _Turn it on_.”


	14. Squabbling With Brothers

Klaus’s POV

_“What are you gonna’ do, Kol? Kill me because I’m the baby vampire who sent you to The Other Side?” Elena asked him hoarsely, still smirking._

_“No,” he replied, glaring into her emotionless eyes. “I’m going to do just the opposite.”_

_In a voice as cold as stone, Kol’s words echoed throughout the silent room._

_“Turn it on.”_

Elena breathed in sharply as Kol’s compulsion took over. Her stone cold eyes quickly changed into a frightened and horrified expression. She clutched at her chest as her breathing quickened.

“W-what did you do?!” she yelled in despair.

“What did _I_ do?” Kol asked innocently. “I think the better question to ask is what did _you_ do?” He smirked wickedly at her. “Tell me, little miss perfect; exactly how many innocent lives did you take while your switch was off? Or can you even count all of them?”

Elena gasped, her eyes becoming wider.

“No! No, no, NO!!!” she wailed, her hands grabbing at her scalp in anguish. “The waitress, April, Bonnie! I almost killed _Bonnie_!” she screamed, tears pouring down her face.

I could only imagine the onslaught of painful memories that were flooding into her mind. For the first time in my entire existence, I wanted to feel an ounce of pity for a doppelganger.

But the moment was gone almost sooner than it had arrived.

Why should I feel obligated to pity her? She deserved to feel bad for all the careless things she had done; especially what she had done to Caroline. I hadn’t seen emotionless-Elena’s distaste for Caroline first hand, but Rebekah’s gossiping tongue had certainly informed me. Let’s just say that if I had gotten the spectacular opportunity to watch Caroline perform her cheerleading routine, in a very _stimulating_ outfit, _no one_ would’ve ruined it. More importantly, if I had been in the woods when Caroline was nearly staked by Elena, I would’ve ripped the doppelganger’s heart from her chest without blinking.

Call me cruel if you wish, but _no one_ hurts my Caroline and gets away with it.

Therefore, I couldn’t care less about the doppelganger’s pain. It was Caroline’s pain that I dreaded. She would be glad that Elena’s humanity was back, but angry that it had been forced on by Kol. She could be angry at me as well, accusing me of doing nothing to hold him back.

But it didn’t matter. Even if I had wanted to stop Kol, there was nothing I could’ve done. Besides, it was about time the doppelganger turned on her emotions. I had quickly grown tired of her childish games.

I was pulled from my thoughts by Elena’s shriek of despair. It was as if every vampire in the room had stopped breathing as she sunk to the ground, curling into a ball and shaking with sobs.

“No, Jeremy! Jeremy’s _gone_ ,” she cried, her words becoming incoherent.

Stefan was kneeling beside her in an instant, wrapping his arms around her comfortingly. But Elena shrunk away from him.

“No, no! Stefan, I’m sorry!” she sobbed. “I broke your heart! I’m so sorry, Stefan! I’m sorry,” she repeated over and over again.

Stefan clenched his jaw, pain flashing in his eyes.          

 _Him,_ I pitied.

Damon threw his hands into the air in anger and scoffed.

“Yeah, sure, just force her emotions back on, Kol! You could’ve _at least_ given us a warning! Thanks a lot, little Original!” Damon shouted.

Before Damon could even take a step towards Elena, Kol had him pinned against the wall by his throat with one hand. Damon growled, scratching at Kol’s hand in a desperate attempt to get away.

“You’re quite correct, Salvatore,” Kol stated, smirking viciously. “I _am_ the youngest Original.” Kol’s smirk vanished. “So squirming will only make me _angrier_.”

Kol grabbed Damon’s hand and crushed his wrist. Damon groaned and quickly kneed Kol in the stomach with all of his force. Kol growled viciously and threw him across the room. With a loud crash, a table broke underneath of Damon. I blocked Kol in the middle of the room by putting my hands on his shoulders.

“Kol,” I growled, “I’d like for you to stop your little tantrum for a few seconds and _think_. I know Lexi was your best friend – “

“I _know_ you’re aware of that!” Kol hissed.

I ground my teeth and continued. “Why make the doppelganger turn on her emotions?”

“To make Damon suffer,” he said between his teeth. “It’s a bit of a chain reaction, you see; causing pain to the girl he loves causes him pain as well.”

I glanced at Damon, who was lying on the floor and groaning in pain, waiting for his injuries to heal. I quickly realized Damon’s ankle had snapped as well.  

“Listen,” I said as I turned back towards Kol. “My patience is quickly wearing thin. Although I am quite familiar with the feeling of wanting to drive a stake through Damon’s heart, I have yet to understand your actions. The Other Side is – “

Kol squinted in confusion at first and then let out a mocking laugh.

“You have _no idea_ , do you?” he asked, suddenly giving me a twisted grin. “That’s why you haven’t killed him, isn’t it? Because you don’t even know what he’s done. You think this is just about Lexi?”

“Then just skip the theatrics and bloody tell me,” I growled.

He placed his hands on my shoulders and stared at me with a glint in his eyes, as if he needed to hold me down before he revealed whatever he was going to reveal. He’d gone through the same motions several times before throughout the years, and each time, the news was horrific. It made me twitch uncomfortably: If something was bothering Kol this much, my reaction would surely be his multiplied tenfold.

“It happened about a year ago,” Kol said in a voice so calm that it was worrisome. “Damon had a human girl at his disposal. She was young and innocent, and had no clue that he was a vampire. You see, he used that to his advantage. He used her as his own personal sex slave and blood bag. But of course, he compelled her to keep quiet and forget about his _late-night activities_.”

“Get on with it, brother,” I snarled, not wanting to hear about Damon’s forced _activities_.

Kol chuckled darkly, giving my shoulder a squeeze as he leaned towards me.

“ _It was Caroline_ ,” he said, a glare set in his eyes.

I blinked once, then twice.

Three times.

“ _What did you just say_?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

Kol licked his lips and tilted his head to the side, his expression blank.

“Caroline. Was. Damon’s sex toy and blood – “

Before he could finish, I was already turning away from him. My fangs dropped, a growl rumbled from my chest, and all I could focus on was Damon’s terrified expression.

I barely noticed Kol pulling on my jacket, trying to get my attention.

“Now Nik, we both know that _prolonged_ torture is much more fun than a quick kill,” he stated with a smirk, obviously amused that now he was having to hold _me_ back.

“I don’t want _torture_ ,” I snarled, my voice low and almost unrecognizable to myself in my fury. “ _I want him dead_ … _Now_.”

I felt Kol shrug. He promptly released me from his hold. Damon leapt to his feet and ran for the front door. Inhuman snarls came from between my teeth as I ran towards him.

“You’re an idiot if you think you can outrun me, _Damon_ ,” I shouted.

I grabbed him by the back of his shirt with both hands and flung him across the room. He crashed into an antique painting on the wall; the glass shattered and fell to the ground, large pieces sticking into Damon’s back. He groaned loudly and clawed at it.

“Stop! Please stop!” Elena begged, still on her knees with tears pouring down her cheeks.

I didn’t stop.

I blindly reached for the closest object in sight, grabbing a vase and propelling it at his head with all of my strength. He ducked and it smashed into the wall behind him with a mighty crash, small pieces of it flying in all directions and disintegrated clay powder dirtying the air around him. He coughed violently and tried to shield his eyes from the dust.

I used the distraction to flash forward, lifting him up by his neck, baring my fangs at him.

“KLAUS!” Stefan shouted.

I turned to glare at him as he flashed to me. Although his intrusion seemed to show he had strength, his expression was exactly the opposite.

The worried lines in his face were marked deeper than ever before. His breathing was fast paced and his hands were held out in surrender. But what made my movements freeze was his eyes. They were heartbroken with unshed tears in them, and were crinkled at the edges. It was as if I was staring directly into his soul.

“You can’t kill him,” he said in a hoarse and broken voice.

I growled, quickly pushing away my guilt.

“On the contrary, mate, I believe just the opposite! I could rip him to shreds faster than you could stop me.”

“Is that a challenge?” Stefan asked in a broken voice.

My golden eyes narrowed and my eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

“ _What is wrong with you_?!” I snarled. “Don’t you want to get even with the person who raped and fed from Caroline while she was human, and then forced her to think she was alright? Don’t you dream about driving a stake through his heart because he drove one through your life-long best friend, Lexi?” Stefan bit the inside of his cheek and his eyes watered further. “Don’t you fantasize about ripping out his heart because he destroyed yours when he stole Elena? Your _only brother_ betrayed you, _countless_ times!”

Stefan swallowed and glanced at Damon.

“Yeah, he did. But unlike you, I know how to let go of the past,” he said bitterly.

I laughed darkly, feeling my fangs retreat.

“Come on now, _mate_. We both know it’s not the past you’re even worried about. It’s the future,” I told him. His eyebrows pulled together. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you wish Damon and your true love, Elena, a long life filled with happiness. “

Stefan swallowed and clenched his jaw, turning his gaze to the floor.

I smirked at him.

“That’s exactly what I thought,” I said, turning back towards Damon with a death glare.

“She’ll never forgive you,” Stefan stated from behind me.

I turned towards him, still keeping my hold on Damon’s throat.

“ _What_?” I snarled.

“If you kill him, Caroline will never forgive you; even if you do it to get revenge on someone who hurt her,” he told me, not breaking eye contact. “It was a year ago, Klaus! She knows how to forgive and forget.”

I felt my fangs retreat as I turned towards Damon.

“Do _you_?” I hissed, squeezing his throat tighter.

“ _What?_ ” Damon choked, his fingers pulling uselessly at my own.

“Did. You. _Apologize._ To Caroline?” I growled.

Damon’s eyes flashed with anger.

“You’re going to kill me no matter what I tell you,” he growled. “But _no_ , I didn’t apologize! I’m a _vampire_ , it’s my nature. You of all people should know that. So I have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.”

I stared him down.

“Well you’re about to have _lots_ to be sorry for,” I said, my fangs dropping again.

I felt Damon’s knee connect with my stomach, making me lose my grip on his neck for a few seconds. He only took two steps before I tackled him.

* * *

 

Kol’s POV

“Elena, go upstairs. NOW!” Stefan commanded.

Poor guy. He really needed to lighten up.

I gave the doppelganger my best _I-want-to-kill-you_ glare right before she flashed out of the room.

Nik had tackled Damon to the floor where they were now rolling around, punching each other, throwing each other into tables, and smashing expensive antiques.

“Hell hath no fury like my brother!” I stated proudly, taking a swig from a bottle of bourbon. “But I do feel pity for whoever cleans the house…”

“You have to stop him,” Stefan told me.

I sighed dramatically. “I really don’t think I do! Besides, it’s always been a blast watching Nik tear into someone. Don’t get me wrong, I created eighty percent of medieval torture methods, but sometimes it’s more satisfying when you watch someone else do the dirty work, you know?”

A book shelf tipped over, falling on top of Damon and Nik with a loud crash.

“I meant what I said!” Stefan yelled. “If Damon dies on Caroline’s behalf, she’ll never forgive Klaus, or _you_! And for some strange, unknown reason, you want to be friends with her. So if you wish to keep that position, I suggest you get your brother off of mine.” I scoffed. “ _Before_ Klaus rips out Damon’s heart!”

I rolled my eyes and finished what little was left of the bourbon.

“As you wish,” I said simply, then threw the bottle at Damon. It smashed against his head, knocking him unconscious. Nik growled at me, his hybrid fangs showing and his eyes glowing yellow.

 _Damn_ , that was actually terrifying.

“Relax, Nik! You know you can’t bite anyone or else they’ll get wolfy-poisoning,” I told him with a sad sigh.

“Since when do you care?!” he snarled, veins still present underneath his eyes.

I shrugged nonchalantly.

“Since Stefan made a good point. Caroline won’t forgive us if we kill Elena’s boyfriend.”

Nik narrowed his golden eyes at me, anger and betrayal evident in his expression.

“Why are you suddenly so infatuated with Caroline?!” he growled. “Don’t tell me you’re going to turn into Elijah, like when we were human.”

I glared at him with equal fury.

“Do you really believe that I would do that to you, Nik?” I asked between clenched teeth.

His returning laugh was cold, bitter, and full of misery.

“I believe you would do _anything_ to me. I can’t trust you or anyone else in our family, can I? And you are _not_ about to steal Caroline from me. I swear on my life, if you do that, I will send you straight back to the Other Side.”

I punched his face hard enough to send him falling backwards. He growled as he landed on his stomach. Before he could stand up, I leapt into the air and landed on his back with my elbow, which I had put all of my energy into. A series of loud snaps and crunches sounded throughout the room. Nik screamed out in pain.

“Ugh,” I rolled my eyes, letting my weight rest on Nik’s back. “And he says _I’m_ the dramatic one!”

“What are you _doing_?” Stefan yelled, his eyes wide with shock.

I waved him away without any concern.

“Oh, don’t worry, Stefan. I broke a few vertebrae and a couple ribs. Nothing that won’t heal,” I answered, flashing a smirk. “Isn’t having vamp-strength wonderful when you’re squabbling with brothers?” I leaned down to Nik’s ear to whisper threateningly, “No matter what you may think of me, Nik, know this: I would _never_ steal a woman from you. Especially not Caroline.”

I pushed my weight off of him and stood up. He gasped in pain, his breathing turning into heavy pants.

Damon suddenly flashed out of the room. I hadn’t even noticed that he had woken up.

“ _Kol_ ,” Nik grumbled, voice hoarse from yelling.

“Oh come on, Nik. You deserved that one. Stop your whining,” I told him.

He growled in response, about to yell at me again when –

“What happened in here?!” Caroline shouted from the doorway in alarm. “It looks like a freaking tornado went through!”

I smiled at her.

“Nope. Just my brother and me.”

Her eyes turned from mine to stare at Nik.

“Klaus?” she snapped. “What did you _do_?”

When Nik avoided her glare, she turned to Stefan with a threatening look.

“They were trying to kill Damon,” he answered, muttering, “and of course they had to wreck the house.”

Caroline scoffed and walked towards Nik, grabbing him by the arm and quickly yanking him off the ground. He screamed out in pain, but Caroline didn’t even flinch.

“ _We’re_ _leaving_ ,” she commanded him as she pulled him towards the front door. His legs gave out, however, and he began to collapse, only to have Caroline wrap her arm around his waist and let his arm fall around her shoulders.

I smirked as I watched them.

I guess I actually did him a favor.

“And _you_ ,” she ordered, pointing her index finger of her free hand at me. I tried to look as innocent as possible under her scrutiny. “You’re going to stay here and clean up this mess. And you’re not going to leave until this entire room is spotless.”

I groaned.

“Why doesn’t Nik have to help clean up, too?” I whined in protest.

“Because he can’t even walk!” she exclaimed.

“ _Yeah right_ ,” I grumbled as they left the house at a human pace. “He’s probably just soaking up all the attention.”

I looked up to see Stefan running a hand through his hair, pulling at the ends. His face was weary.

“Who told Klaus about Lexi?” he asked quietly.

“I did,” I answered, meeting his sorrowful eyes. “Lexi and I became friends a long time ago.”

Stefan snorted.

“Yeah, and how did that happen? You compelled her?” he mocked.

I narrowed my eyes at him and grinned.

“Actually, no,” I told him, now smiling with all of my teeth like a mad man. “I’m the one that turned her.”

Stefan’s lips parted as his jaw went slack.


	15. An Interesting Development

Stefan’s POV

“Wait… _You_ turned Lexi?” I asked in disbelief.

Kol smiled. “Yes I did. Why is it such a surprise? Did you have someone else in mind?”

I shook my head.

“No, I just… I didn’t think it’d be directly from an Original, which means that even if Damon hadn’t killed her, she would’ve died anyway when Jeremy staked you,” I realized.

“Ah! Just one more reason your brother’s heart should be in a separate room then his body,” Kol announced, giving me a fake smile and a dangerous glare. “Where exactly did he run off to?”

I pointed a finger at the ceiling. Kol’s eyes darted up and he gave me an _are-you-serious_ look.

“He’s actually stupid enough to stay in this house after tonight’s events?” Kol asked sarcastically.

“Apparently,” I retorted, walking towards a broken picture frame that was now on the floor. I picked it up and raised an eyebrow at the sheet of glass that was crushed inward.

“Well this was a waste of five thousand dollars,” I muttered. “Guess I need to make a trash pile.”

I let out a sigh as I set down the frame. Leaving the room to grab a large trash bag, I returned only seconds later. My eyes widened as I looked around the room that had been trashed moments ago. Kol was standing in the center of the room, a smirk on his face, and a large pile of broken glass, pictures, and decorations at his feet.

“Woah…” I stated, looking around the room. “Somebody needs to start a maid business.”

He chuckled and dusted off his hands.

“I’ve lived for hundreds of years with a family of murderous vampires who never clean up their own messes, Stefan. My skill of leaving no traces behind is good enough to fool Sherlock Holmes.”

I narrowed my eyes and scanned the room, stopping as I spotted cracks in the wall where Klaus had thrown Damon.

“Well guess what, Sherlock,” I said, pointing at the crack, “you missed a spot.”

He rolled his eyes at me.

“Well _excuse me_ if I can’t fix a crack in the wall with a dusting rag,” he shot back.

I bit my lip to hide a smirk.

“Thanks, by the way,” I told him. “Although, I’m still suspicious as to why you’re helping me. I think we can both agree that you don’t care about me.”  

He shrugged.

“You’re right. I’m trying to figure out why Caroline thinks you’re such a great friend.”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“How do you – “

“Oh come on, Stefan. I may have been dead, but I’m not daft,” he stated, slowly walking towards me. “I know _everything_. While I was on the other side, I had quite a bit of time on my hands. And since there’s nothing much to do, I opted for watching the soap opera that is _Mystic Falls_. I’m quite updated on the times and the many events that have taken place. So when I say that I know _everything_ , you can honestly believe it.”

He paused for a moment to cock his head to the side and narrow his eyes at me.

“I know how much Caroline reminds you of Lexi,” he stated curiously. “I see it, too. Caroline has the exact same stubbornness that makes her believe anyone can be saved, no matter how lost they may seem.”

“Why didn’t you see Lexi on the other side?” I asked curiously, breaking the momentary silence.

He shook his head, snapping out of his trance, and sighed.

“When you’re on the other side, you can only see and communicate with ghosts of supernatural beings that you know are dead. I had no clue Lexi was dead, even though she probably watched me burn to death from the Other Side. It’s a shame, though. It would’ve been nice to reunite with her. Instead, all I got was Finn annoying me and my parents telling me how much of a monster we all are. Quite depressing, actually. Now you see why I simply _had_ to get out of there. But you don’t worry about your precious Elena. I won’t kill her, or Damon, as long as Caroline isn’t onboard with it.”

He glanced between me and the trash bag in my hands, giving me a wide smile.

“Well, I think I’ve done my part, so have fun with the mess, mate!” he said, disappearing out the front door in a flash.

I sighed and shook my head. In the silence that followed, Elena’s quiet sobs from upstairs became louder to my vampire hearing.

“What I wouldn’t give to have Lexi right now,” I said to myself.

* * *

 

Klaus’s POV

I ground my teeth as we walked out of the Salvatore house, desperately trying not to show how much pain I was in or how angry I was.

Caroline craned her neck as she helped me walk, looking at the starry sky.

“On a more positive note,” she broke the awkward silence, “the sky is beautiful.”

“It doesn’t compare to you,” I answered.

She rolled her eyes and scoffed.

“Oh _please_. If you think your stupid romantic compliments will make me forget about tonight, you’re _so_ wrong.”

“So you do admit they’re romantic?” I retorted. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

She huffed and picked up the pace.                      

“Can you seriously not walk without my assistance?” she asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at me.

“Well I suppose I could limp, but it would be quite painful,” I answered.

She smirked. “At least Kol did one thing right.”

I raised my eyebrows at her incredulously.

“Kol rarely does something right, sweetheart. Although tonight he did several good things in your favor.”

Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion, waiting for me to continue.

I sighed and bit the inside of my cheek, looking up to see my house come within view.

“He’s the only reason Damon’s still alive,” I admitted. “Stefan informed him that if he killed Damon, you would not be forgiving. Apparently Kol values your friendship more than revenge; and that’s _really_ saying something for him. Besides Lexi, I think you’re the first person I’ve witnessed Kol become so fond of.”

Caroline opened her mouth to answer, but quickly closed it. She seemed to be in deep thought for a few moments.

“And what about you?” she asked, her eyes burning into mine. She looked angry, hurt, and confused all at the same time. “Do you value our friendship enough? Or did you just have to prove that you’re the alpha male again?”

I bit my tongue to keep from saying the same remark from the decade dance, or worse, shouting about how worthless Damon is.

“I was so furious that I couldn’t stop myself,” I finally admitted, deciding that the truth was my best option. “And even if I had gained the strength to walk away, I wouldn’t have done it.”

She scoffed louder this time as she practically dragged me into my house, slamming the door behind her.

“What is your _problem_?!” she yelled, pulling away from me and taking several steps back. “Why do you always insist on wanting to _kill_ everyone? Oh look, I’m Klaus and someone messed up my dry-cleaning! Guess I have to paint the laundromat’s walls with their blood! Can’t you go just one day without planning a murder?!”

I ground my teeth.

“That Salvatore has crossed my line more times than I can count!” I shot back, anger growing inside the pit of my stomach. “I’ve spared his life countless times for Stefan’s sake, and yet Damon still continued to give me more reasons to kill him that were completely justified. But tonight I learned of just _one more thing_ he has done, and I didn’t want to tolerate him any longer!”

“What are you even _talking_ about?!” she shouted.

“YOU, Caroline!” I yelled, grabbing her shoulders. “I’m talking about _you_! Everything that he did to you while you were human!”

Anger flashed in her eyes and she roughly shoved my chest.

“Why are you bringing this up, Klaus?!” she screamed, shoving me again. “It was forever ago and I’ve _moved on_! Why do you even care?”

“Because _no one_ hurts my Caroline and gets away with it!” I screamed.

She paused for a moment, her eyes filled with absolute hatred that made me wince.

“What do you mean ‘ _yours’_?!” she hissed. “I’m not yours! I don’t belong to _anybody_! I’m not a poor, defenseless little girl, Klaus!

“Don’t change the subject!” I snapped.

“Then don’t yell at me and _claim me_ like you think I’m some kind of a toy!”

“I can do whatever I want in my home!”

Veins rippled beneath her eyes as she hissed and slapped me _hard_ across the face, turning and stomping towards the front door. I was behind her in an instant, growling as I grabbed her elbow and spun her back towards me. She flinched, her hands clenching into fists as I pulled her tightly against me and crushed my lips to hers. Her body was completely frozen against mine for a brief second before she shoved against my chest, leaving a foot of space between us. My lips parted as I stared at her: her lips were swollen, her eyes fierce and filled with a thousand emotions, and her cheeks were burning red.

“Don’t _kiss me!”_ She yelled, the fury returning to her darkened eyes.

I could only stare at her as I tried to catch my breath. The realization of what I’d just done hit me. I wasn’t sure whether to congratulate or hit myself. But then Caroline’s eyes flickered down, watching my chest rise and fall as I breathed heavily. Her eyes lifted and darted between mine, then down to my lips. I didn’t get much of a warning before she was grabbing me by my neck and roughly tugging on my hair with her other hand, pulling my face towards hers and pressing her lips against mine.

Her teeth tugged at my bottom lip while her nails raked through my hair and tugged at the ends. I think I let out a moan, but I wasn’t quite sure since the blood in my brain was quickly descending. I had her underneath of me on the leather couch in an instant, my hands in her hair and my lips kissing her with a passion I had forgotten was within me.

My vision blurred as Caroline flipped us over. Her hands pinned down my shoulders, her knees on both sides of my hips and a mischievous grin on her face. I was helpless, only able to stare at her in awe.

And then her lips were on my neck and all of my thoughts were shattered. My fingers traced her spine and came to rest on her hips. Her tongue flicked across a spot below my ear and my nails were digging into the flesh of her waist. She made a noise of surprise which I felt against my skin, and then she was pulling away to look at me. Her pupils were blown and her hair was a mess, lips pink and swollen and so bloody gorgeous that it hurt. As we stared at each other, both of us breathing heavily, I watched her fight the veins that were beginning to surface beneath her darkening eyes and a spectacular idea came to my mind.

“Do it,” I whispered hoarsely, practically begging. Her eyebrows lowered in confusion. I tilted my head back, exposing my neck to her, and murmured, “ _Have at it_ , sweetheart.”

She stared at me for a moment. The dark veins quickly surfaced and the whites of her eyes turned into a blood red color. Her lips parted as her fangs slowly appeared. I nearly moaned at the sight, wondering how something so dangerous could be so erotic.

Caroline slowly leaned forward, threading her fingers in my hair and tilting my head further. She gave me one last lustful glance before she turned her head and sunk her teeth into my neck. I moaned as her teeth broke my skin. Her lips attached themselves to the wound, sensually sucking at the blood that surfaced. My fingers dug into her hips, trying desperately to pull her even closer to me. Noticing my actions, she ground her hips against mine. I growled and her hips rolled and I hissed. She sucked harder and my vision blurred around the edges – not from blood loss, but from need.

“C-Caroline,” I rasped, running a hand up her back and pushing her chest against mine. She groaned and rubbed her body against me, her fingers pulling at my hair and her hips moving against mine again.

We were much too preoccupied to notice that the front door had opened.

“Ok, I just want to say that I am truly – HOLY FUDGE MUFFINS!!!“ Kol screamed in horror as his eyes landed on the couch.

Caroline’s lips instantly pulled away from my neck. We both stared at Kol like deer in headlights, our hair sticking up in all directions, faces red, and eyes wide.

“You – And I was – But I thought – And you’re – “ Kol stuttered, glancing at my neck and seeing blood trickle from the two obvious punctures that were taking their sweet-old time healing.

Kol’s face twitched in disgust, his eyes bulging in horror.

“AHHH!” he yelled, turning and running out the door, not even bothering to close it. “MY EYES BUUUURN!!!” he screamed, pulling at his hair while running away at top speed.

Caroline and I sat in the same position, our mouths hanging open as we stared at his retreating form.

“Well…” I said, breaking the silence. “That was… an _interesting_ development.”

Caroline turned back towards me, her blue eyes horrified at the thought of my brother seeing us in our current state.

“Ya’ think?!”


	16. You're The Queen

Silence surrounded us after Kol ran away screaming. _Literally_.

“I, um…” I muttered awkwardly and scrambled away from Klaus. He groaned softly at the loss of contact.

“Caroline,” he began, his voice still hoarse from the _previous events_. Yep, that’s what I’m going to call it.

I backed away and looked anywhere but at him.

“I – I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I stuttered, my fingers lamely trying to smooth out my hair. “I should go.”

I turned and walked swiftly towards the door.

“Wait!”

I felt Klaus’s strong hand wrap around my forearm, spinning me to face him. His free hand landed on the small of my back, fingers splayed out. Even though a layer of clothing prevented skin-on-skin contact, my skin burned beneath his warm grip. I ground my teeth, trying to fight off the urge to throw him onto that couch and continue where we’d left off.

“I know what you must be thinking at the moment,” Klaus began, his eyes darting nervously between mine. “That I tried to take advantage of you; that I do not care about your feelings and only wish to satisfy my own desires. But no matter what you may think of me now,” he gently cupped my face and brushed his thumb across my cheek. His warm breath grazed across my face. “I want you to know that my intentions are noble. Your feelings do truly matter to me, Caroline. You are not simply a pawn.”

I let out a breath that I didn’t know I was holding and swallowed thickly.

“Then what part of your game of chess am I?” I challenged, my voice barely above a whisper.

His eyes flickered between mine as his lips screwed up at one corner.

With a sparkle in his eyes, he answered, “You’re the queen.”

I stared him down, unsure of how to respond. He stared back for a few seconds, or maybe longer – I couldn’t tell. Finally, his eyes flickered away from mine.

I let out a breath, happy to be released from his gaze, only to realize that he was staring at my lips. Feeling an awkwardness that was verging on painful, I pressed my lips together. But then Klaus licked his lips as he watched mine and I felt the fire burning in my veins again. It made me feel like I was going to die, and yet like I needed more. I’d never felt this kind of pull towards anyone else in my entire life, and that thought terrified me enough to snap me out of whatever trance I was in.

“I should go,” I said again, my voice even weaker than it was before.

Klaus blinked, his eyes snapping up to mine again. Before I could let myself stare again, I stepped out of his hold and turned away from him, forcing my shaking legs to walk to the front door.

If it hadn’t been for my supernatural hearing, I wouldn’t have heard the quiet shaky breath Klaus released. Forcing myself not to groan in frustration, I glanced back at him over my shoulder.

“Hey,” I whispered. Klaus’s head snapped up, his expression filled with confusion and his stormy blue eyes glazed over. I gave him a small encouraging smile. “You’ll have to teach me how to play chess sometime.”

He let out a shaky laugh, giving me a half dimpled smile.

“I suppose I will,” he answered, staring at the floor as he shook his head and mumbled, “You’re going to drive me absolutely _mad_.”

I grinned.

“Goodnight, Klaus.”

He smiled and watched me walk out the door.

“Goodnight, Caroline.”

* * *

I ran home at a human pace, loving the feeling of the wind blowing against my cheeks.

My mind wandered back to the events of tonight. I couldn’t remember much after Bonnie and I had arrived at Klaus’s mansion, undoubtedly from the alcohol. After Kol had left in a rage and Klaus had, well, _bared it all_ to me, I had quickly carried Bonnie home and gone to see Stefan. _That_ was when I had found Klaus beating Damon half to death.

“I guess you finally got the night off,” I said to my mom as I walked into the house, closing the front door behind me.

“Actually, no,” she said with a sigh, holding a large mug of coffee in one hand. “Stefan just called me and said Elena has her humanity back.”

My jaw dropped.

“Wait, _what?_ Since when?”

She shrugged.

“Apparently Kol is alive and well. He went to the Salvatore’s house tonight and compelled her to turn it back on,” she said simply.

My eyebrows pulled together and I stayed silent for a moment.

“And _why_ would he do that, exactly?” I questioned.

She sighed.

“Stefan said Kol claims to have done it to get revenge on Damon,” she told me. “But I don’t know what for.”

I nodded slowly, making a mental note to thank Stefan later for not mentioning the _bite-and-compel_ routine that Damon had followed while I was human to my mother.

“Right,” I said, shaking my head and trying to gather my thoughts. “So is she ok?”

“Not from the sounds of it,” she answered sadly. “She feels guilty for everything she did; which she should, considering the fact that she tried to kill us both.”

I laughed humorlessly.

“Yeah, and I guess Damon used the sire bond to calm her down,” I stated sarcastically with a roll of my eyes.

“Actually, he didn’t,” she stated with surprise. “Stefan said the sire bond is broken.”

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped comically.

“ _What_?! How?”

“Beats me. I don’t understand all the vampire rules. Anyways, I’m going to sleep, Care. It’s been a long week. You’ll have to ask Stefan for more answers.”

I nodded.

“I’ll call him tomorrow. He’s probably not in a very good mood.” I smiled at her and gave her a quick hug. “Thanks for telling me, Mom.”

She pulled away and smiled.

“No problem. But don’t think I’m going to forgive Elena just yet,” she warned.

I nodded in understanding. “Yeah, I’m with you on that one.”

“Goodnight, sweetie,” she said with a smile.

“Night, Mom.”

* * *

 

I had always been a light sleeper.

I had grown used to waking up when the floorboards creaked or a squirrel walked through the leaves by my window. Becoming a vampire had only made enhanced my hearing and turned this habit into instinct.

It annoyed me sometimes when the wind blew and my eyelids snapped open, or a twig broke hundreds of feet from the house and I would jolt out of bed like some kind of ninja. But it was also extremely helpful when someone was sneaking around within a mile from the house.

So tonight, when the hairs on my neck stood up and every muscle in my body surged with adrenalin, I knew that whatever was lurking outside was more dangerous than just a wild animal.

I shot out of bed and crouched into a defensive position in front of my bedroom door. My eyes darted across the room. All of my senses were on full alert as an uncomfortable tingling sensation shot up my spine.

I stayed crouched and silent as I listened for my mom’s heartbeat, relaxing as I heard its gentle thudding.

Even though I now couldn’t hear anything suspicious lurking outside, I stayed in the same position on the floor, trusting my vampire instincts enough to know when they were right. After a full minute of listening for a sound, I huffed and gave up, making my way towards my bed.

But then I heard it again.

I closed my eyes as I focused on the sound, biting my lip in concentration. No footsteps could be heard; just the nearly inaudible sound of liquid sloshing as it was poured onto something.

The soft splashing sound continued for a few more seconds, and then silence.

I curiously walked to my window, peering into the darkness. My eyes landed on a dark figure and I squinted in concentration.

“Stefan?” I asked cautiously. The figure didn’t respond. “Hey, you know it’s kind of creepy to lurk around people’s bedrooms in the middle of the night, so – “

I was interrupted as the figure flashed forward and punched the middle of my window. With a gasp, I spun away from it as shards of glass flew around me, some sticking into my arms.

I looked up, seeing the gaping hole in the window that was surrounded by veins of smashed glass. I scoffed at the figure.

“What the – “

“You’ve got something in your arm,” a familiar female voice said, standing a foot from the hole in the glass.

“ _Katherine_?!” I accused, ignoring the stinging pain in my forearms from the glass shards.

“Wow. You really are a natural blonde,” she responded, her face a mask of indifference.

I glared at her.

She took a step forward.

“Elena…” I warned.

“Kol compelled me because of you, right?” she asked menacingly.

“No!” I snapped, but then sighed. “Well, maybe? Ugh, I don’t know, ok! All I know is that he made you to turn on your humanity, so you’ll finally go back to being your normal self and everything’s going to be ok!” I took a deep breath. “Just focus on something other than anger and it’ll get easier.”

She laughed creepily, her chest shaking.

“Do you honestly think I’d let _Kol_ , of all people, force me to turn on my humanity switch when he almost killed my brother? Are you _really_ that stupid?”

I stared wide-eyed at her and ground my teeth, shooting a glare at her.

“You were on vervain,” I said.

She smirked.

“Actually, _no_ , I wasn’t,” she replied. “But it’s not that hard to find a loophole when you’re compelled.” I raised an eyebrow at her, causing her to chuckle again. “He told me to turn on my humanity: He never said how long I had to keep it on.”

I rolled my eyes. Why was there _always_ a stupid loophole?

“But _you’re_ the reason why he did it in the first place,” Elena said simply, reaching into her pocket to pull out a small brown box.

“Look,” I began, “I know you’re – “

“You know _nothing_ ,” she interrupted. “You don’t know what it’s like to lose your entire family, so don’t you dare judge me for turning it off.”

I cocked an eyebrow at her in challenge.

“You may think the world revolves around you, Elena, but it doesn’t! I _do_ know what it’s like to watch the people I care about die, and yet you don’t see me flipping the switch!” I exclaimed.

Elena chuckled and shook her head.

“I don’t care about you anymore, _Caroline_ ,” she spat my name and smirked. “But apparently Kol does. So I’m going to return the favor to him.”

I scoffed, about to come up with a nasty retort when suddenly, a gentle wind from outside blew the strong scent of gasoline through my window. I froze, my face going blank.

In less than a second, Elena had a small box in one hand and a match in the other. She scraped the match along the side of the box, smirking as she flicked it against the side of the house. I gasped and flinched away as orange flames engulfed the outside of my window within seconds. Lifting my head, I watched as the roaring fire spread to the roof.

Elena had poured gasoline on the entire house.

I turned to glare at her through the tall and fearsome flames, only to see her smile and launch something through the jagged hole in the glass of my window. Seeing that the object was on fire, I leapt to the side and watched as it fell to the floor. My eyes were wide as saucers as I saw that it was a can of lighter fluid.

_Smart move, Caroline!_

I muttered curses as the fluid quickly seeping out of the bottle and across the floor, immediately spreading the flames. A thousand thoughts flew through my mind, but the loudest of them all screamed _get out_.

In my panic, my vampire reflexes were being stubborn, causing me to stumble and fall backwards into my night stand. With a terrible crash, it broken beneath me. I cried out as part of its broken wood stabbed into my back and my head cracked against it.

After a few seconds of painful disorientation, I heard the smoke detectors in the house go off. Glancing at the floor next to me and seeing my cell phone, I snatched it up and lurched to my feet, leaping over my bed and rushing down the hallway.

“Mom!” I managed to scream out, coughing because of the thick smoke that poured in through the cracks in the walls.

She met me halfway down the hallway, dark circles under her widened eyes. Had it been any other time, I would’ve laughed at her unruly hair and flannel Mickey Mouse pajama pants. But before I could even say a word, a horrible creaking sound had us both looking down the hallway. With a groan and several loud cracks, the living room ceiling collapsed and sent debris everywhere. I leapt in front of her, shielding her body with mine as shards of glass and a puff of crumbled drywall surrounded us. We closed our eyes and began coughing terribly. The heat became stronger and the bright orange glow around us was suddenly brighter. Until I instinctively curled my fingers into my palms, I had forgotten about the cell phone in my hand.

I was in life threatening danger and could only think of one person to save me.

 _Klaus_.

My fingers trembled as I pressed buttons and held the phone to my ear. They answered before the ringer had even gone through its first tone.

“Caroline, love, what’s wrong?”

I felt a brief wave of calm wash over me as I heard the sound of his voice.

“Klaus! My house is on fire, and my mom and I can’t get out! The ceiling collapsed and now we’re trapped in the hallway! Get your Original Hybrid butt over here _now_!” I screamed, my voice cracking as the panic came over me.

As soon as I said the word ‘ _fire’_ , I heard his labored breathing and the rushing of wind against the phone.

“Caroline, I need you to stay calm, sweetheart. I’m coming to save you,” he answered.

But as the flames became hotter, I sucked in a ragged breath, only to cough harder.

“Stay _calm_?! How…” Cough. “Am I…” Another cough. “Supposed to _stay calm_?!” I shrieked, going into a huge coughing fit.

“Caroline,” he urged through the phone, causing me to take a forceful shaky breath. “You’ll be alright, sweetheart. I’m coming to get you.”

I swallowed thickly and nodded, as if I was trying to convince myself that I’d be ok.

“There’s got to be a way out of here!” my mom insisted worriedly, rushing towards her bedroom door before I could protest. A loud snap followed by creaking caught my attention. Just as she walked through her bedroom door, the ceiling above her began to collapse.

“ _Mom!_ ” I screamed, dropping the phone and flashing to her in an instant. I spun her safely out of the way, now standing in her place.

I felt my knees collapse beneath me as part of the ceiling knocked me to my stomach. A cloud of white dust surrounded us, making it impossible to see anything. I ground my teeth to keep from screaming as horrible pain shot up my left leg.

“Mom, are you ok?” I asked, my voice cracking as I tried to not think of the stabbing sensations shooting through my thigh.

She groaned in response.

“I’m fine,” she answered. “How about you?”

I took a shaky breath and carefully touched where my thigh hurt, screeching as I felt a bone sticking out from underneath my skin.

Despite the chaos and the fire and the sound of my own blood rushing in my ears, I let out a hollow laugh as a ridiculous thought formed in my mind: I got blood on my new sleeping shorts.

“I’ll be ok,” I yelled, my voice trembling as I tried to talk louder than the roar of the flames. “But my phone won’t be,” I said with a small chuckle. “The better question would be what the heck just fell on us?” I joked, despite our current predicament.

A loud smash had our heads turning to stare down the hallway. I narrowed my eyes, trying to see through the thick cloud of smoke and dust. The sound of things crashing as they were thrown out of the way was almost as loud as the fire.

 _This is either really good, or_ really _bad._

A muffled and familiar voice that was on the other side of the debris made me sigh in relief.

“Come on, Nik! We haven’t got all bloody night! Do you want to save Caroline and her mother or retrieve two barbequed chicks?”

Suddenly, a boot covered foot smashed through the collapsed drywall, creating a small space to see out of.

“Caroline?” Klaus called out with a worried expression.

“That would be me,” I stated sarcastically, feeling my chest heave as I fought the pain in my leg.

“INCOMING!!!” I heard Kol yell, suddenly throwing his whole body through the drywall. He collapsed in front of us in a pile of dust, wood, and debris. His hair was covered in ash and white powder. Kol groaned for a moment before looking up and smiling widely at my mom and I. “Ah, so we’ve arrived just before you’ve been properly roasted! Marvelous timing, _Nik_ ,” Kol remarked with a slight roll of his eyes.

I coughed hoarsely, the movement causing more waves of pain to shoot through my leg.

“Save the jokes for later,” I groaned. “Just get her out of here!” More loud pops and groans went through the ceiling above us. “NOW!” I screamed.

Kol sighed dramatically.

“Alright, alright, I’m going!” Kol said jokingly before scooping my mom into his arms and disappearing through the space he had created.

As I watched him disappear, shivers traveled up my spine and a terrible feeling of being cold came across me.

I felt dizzy and I quickly had only tunnel vision as the sounds around me became muffled and unclear. Even as Klaus was suddenly in front of me, I was terrified that an uncontrollable blackness was taking hold on my mind, dragging me deeper into a dark pit. The blurry figure of Klaus crouched in front of me was all I could see as my eyelids closed involuntarily and everything became disturbingly, peacefully silent. I felt my resistance snap and allowed myself to give into the unconscious feeling. It felt warm and inviting compared to the pain that had been surging through my body.

But even in the peaceful, dreamless sleep, his voice was softly calling for me in the distance.

_Caroline…_

_…_

_Caroline._


	17. It Was My Pleasure

_Caroline…_

Seconds later, I felt myself being lifted out of the suffocating darkness. I didn’t complain; I hated feeling this helpless. I’m a _vampire_. I shouldn’t _black out_! I mean, it was just a little bit of pain.

Right?

But as I was ripped from the peaceful silence and dragged through the harsh nails of reality, I found myself wishing for a broken neck.

My eyes opened partially, seeing only a dark sliver of a starry sky above me. An annoying high pitched ringing sounded through my ears, clearing just so I could hear the echo of crickets in the night. My numb body slowly came back to life. Stabs of pain tingled throughout my limbs, and after several moments, came to rest in my thigh.

_Why does my leg –_

All of the pain hit me at once. It felt like a knife to the heart; or should I say _stake_.

My dangling head suddenly lurched up, my teeth baring as I shouted in pain.

“Shh, Caroline…”

I was shocked at the sound of Klaus’s voice; not because it was _his_ , but because it was only an inch or two away from my face. I panted and heavily turned my head to look at him. Through the blinding pain, I realized that he was carrying me in his arms. I wondered how I hadn’t felt myself being picked up and carried out of my burning house, but that thought was quickly slapped away; he’s a _thousand-year-old vampire_ , I think he can handle being gentle when he wants to.

But not only was he gentle, but he was –

He was…

 _Shirtless_ …

My confusion and blush was quickly overwhelmed by pain.

“My leg,” I whimpered, my fingers gripping Klaus’s bare shoulder tightly.

“I know, sweetheart, I’ll fix it,” he said softly. “It was bleeding profusely and not healing like it should, so I thought it’d be wise to put a tourniquet on it.”

I kept my eyes squeezed tightly shut, focusing on anything except the pain.

_Mom…_

“Mom!” I gasped, my eyes opening again to flicker nervously. “Where’s my mom? Klaus, she – “

“She’s alright,” he answered softly. “The only thing on her that can’t wash off is Kol’s pestering.” I smiled and let out a breath of relief, wondering how well she was handling _that_ situation. “And I’d wager if it weren’t for your heroic acts, she wouldn’t be alive,” Klaus told me with a proud smile, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.

I laughed once.

“Heroic? More like _hysteric_ ,” I said, closing my eyes again and letting out another short laugh. “And for some crazy unknown reason, the first person I thought of to call when I was in distress was the big bad Original Hybrid, _Niklaus Mikaelson_ ,” I put extra emphasis on his full title.

“ _Mmm_ ,” Klaus hummed appreciatively. “I quite fancy the way my name _rolls_ off your tongue,” he purred in my ear, his warm breath tickling my skin and raising goose bumps along my neck. A pleasant shiver tingled its way up my spine.

_Keep it together, Caroline!_

Before I could piece together a sassy retort, I was being laid down gently in the middle of a bed.

Bed? Since when had we gotten to his house?

I ground my teeth and opened my eyes for a second, seeing Klaus’s dark eyes only inches from my own. I tore my eyes away from his piercing gaze, only to see the bone that protruded from my thigh.

My eyelids quickly snapped shut. I tried to control my breathing, inhaling deeply through my nose and out my mouth. But the calming technique seemed to backfire as Klaus’s intoxicating aroma overwhelmed my senses. I let out a shaky breath, not needing to open my eyes to know why his scent was so strong.

_I was in his bedroom._

Even if I didn’t trust Klaus (which surprisingly, I do), I knew it was the only explanation as to why everything smelled so… Well, _him_.

Not that I’m complaining.

My eyes did open, however, to stare at him when his finger grazed across my cheek. Klaus was kneeling on the bed beside my injured leg, brushing my hair away from my sticky, sweat-covered forehead. If it had been anyone other than Klaus seeing me in such a distraught state, I would’ve been embarrassed.

But I wasn’t.

Because only a week ago, the situation had been reversed. Granted, his pain was nothing but one of Silas’s weird mind games, but he had also suffered in agony, and for _much_ longer than myself. And I had let him, not caring enough to simply help him without any deals or strings attached. I had let him sweat, groan, and scream out in pain without trying very hard to be gentle with him. I had screamed at him and fought with him, even though I knew he would’ve _never_ asked another person for assistance, even while he felt like he was dying.

Except for me, of course. His rules are always different when it comes to me.

And yet now, after I had played with his heart, asked him to risk his safety for my mother’s and my own, he still showered me with adoration and care. He was being more than kind to me when I didn’t ask for it, or even so much as deserve it.

_How did I earn such treatment from him?_

I was brought back to reality by his soft voice cautiously calling out my name.

“Well,” I panted, pushing away the guilt that itched in my gut. “This outfit is _ruined_.”

Klaus chuckled in disbelief and shook his head, an amused smirk on his face.

“It is a pity,” he said, looking down at the cotton sleeping shorts that left my legs on full display. “I think I’m growing quite fond of these.”

I laughed, wincing as the movement jarred my leg.

Klaus slowly brushed his fingers across my cheek again.

“This is going to hurt,” he said quietly, not taking his eyes off mine.

“I’m sure I’ve had worse,” I ground out.

He gave me a curious look for a moment, narrowed eyes boring into mine as the wheels turned in his head. A crinkle formed on his forehead as his irritation grew.

I rested my hand on his forearm and gave him a sad smile, causing his anger to melt away.

Klaus sighed in defeat, shaking his head again.

“You are one of the bravest and most compassionate person I have ever met, Caroline,” he told me softly, eyes glowing with pride and admiration. “No one deserves your forgiveness; myself included.”

His warm, calloused fingers were suddenly grazing across my bare thighs. My breath hitched for reasons other than pain, which (sadly) didn’t go unnoticed to Klaus.

He took my distraction to wrap both of his hands around my thigh and firmly snap my femur back into place. The indescribable pain blinded me. My back arched off the bed as I screamed loud enough to make my own ears hurt. For those terrible moments, everything was silent and blurry. Then the worst of the pain slowly began to fade as I felt my body healing itself. As I panted, I felt a wet substance on my palms and fingertips. Glancing down, I saw my hands clenched tightly around the bed sheets, my fingernails digging into my palms and drawing blood from the crescent-shaped marks. Blood had dripped onto the expensive-feeling cotton.

 _Whoops_.

I looked up and saw Klaus’s face hovering close to mine, whispering words of how strong and brave I was. His necklaces dangled and grazed my chest occasionally.

As the pain subsided, I realized my lower lip was between my teeth. I also realized that his hands had been holding down my hips, but were now resting there. His fingers traced small patterns there where my shirt had lifted up and exposed a strip of skin. I didn’t freak out and slap him for taking advantage of my moment of weakness to hold me so intimately: He probably didn’t even realize how intimate it felt and how much it was affecting me.

He took advantage of my distraction again to untie his blood soaked shirt from above my healing wound. A little too slowly, he slid his right palm underneath my knee, lifting it to pull the shirt completely off my leg. He tossed it nonchalantly over his shoulder, where it landed somewhere in his bathroom.

I let my leg rest on the bed and ignored the stinging in my thigh, instead focusing on Klaus’s soothing voice and the addictive sensations he was making me feel. Klaus reached up with his right hand to push back another lock of my hair that clung to my face.

He glanced down at my teeth which were still latched onto my bottom lip and swiped his thumb across it. I released it instantly. He brushed his thumb across it again to collect the blood that had seeped from the cut made by my teeth. While keeping eye contact with me, he sensually wrapped his lips around his thumb and sucked off the blood.

_What in the -_

“Mmm,” he hummed, dark eyes still boring into mine. “ _Delicious_.”

I let out a short laugh that sounded more like a desperate pant.

“I didn’t think getting a bone set back into place would end like _that_ ,” I said shakily, still trying – and failing miserably – to catch my breath.

The corner of his mouth turned up as a mischievous glint shone in his eyes. He gave me his signature cocky smirk, eyes still dark and watching mine like I was his prey.

“ _Oh, sweetheart_ ,” he whispered saucily, grazing his fingertips across my knee. “That’s only one of the many things I can do with my bare hands.”

My eyes widened slightly at his boldness. I was about to scold him, but my lips parted to take in a sharp breath as he slowly dragged his blunt fingernail from the top of my knee to my inner thigh.

“Mmm, _Kl-_ “

“Klaus!” called Stefan from downstairs, the front door slamming behind him.

Klaus growled in irritation, removing his fingertips from my thigh and reluctantly rolling out of his position above me to lie on my right side. He crossed his ankles and then his arms over his chest, lounging comfortably; but his expression was still annoyed.

I, on the other hand, was extremely hot and bothered while also healing from a broken femur.

Stefan appeared at the open bedroom doorway, looking confused as he saw Klaus, and then his eyes widening as he saw me. He glanced down at my leg and the blood that had dripped onto the bed.

“Uhh…” Stefan began in confusion, his eyebrows pulling together. “Care,” he said reluctantly. “Is that – “ he pointed to my leg, “uh, _a bite_?“ Stefan’s eyes flickered to Klaus. “But that would mean – “ he paused again and pointed at Klaus. “Were you – “ Stefan glanced between the two of us. “Did I just – “ he began, pointing at himself. “But – “ he motioned between the two of us, lips opening and closing several times. His utterly confused and awkward expression would’ve been hilarious in any _other_ situation.

“Huh,” Stefan said, finally letting his hand drop to his side in defeat. “Well,” he cleared his throat awkwardly. “Sorry to… _interrupt_.”

I groaned and rubbed a hand across my face. He thought Klaus had been drinking my blood. _From my thigh._

Klaus let out an exasperated sigh from beside me.

“Get on with it, _rippah_ ,” Klaus ground out in annoyance.

Stefan narrowed his eyes at the sound of the old nickname.

“We can’t find Elena,” he admitted. “Damon was trying to calm her down, but she started mumbling about Kol and Jeremy. Then she said ‘It’s all _her_ fault!’ and disappeared.”

I snuck a glance at Klaus’s annoyed expression as he sat up abruptly.

“What do you mean _disappeared_?” he growled at Stefan.

“ _I mean_ she left,” Stefan retorted with a shrug of his shoulders. “Escaped. Vanished. Took off. Ran away. Fled the scene. How many synonyms do you need, Klaus?”  

Klaus rolled his eyes and got out of the bed, sauntering to his dresser and pulling a long sleeved, navy Henley from a drawer. The muscles of his back flexed (yes, I was watching, so sue me!) as he raised his arms over his head and slipped on the shirt, straightening it and giving Stefan an exasperated look.

“Relax, _Stefan_ ,” he said. “I’m sure Elena will come waltzing in the very second you decide that you want to move on with your life.”

“Actually,” I said, catching their attention. “I sort of know where she went after she left your house, Stefan.”

Stefan quirked an eyebrow.

“And I know _exactly_ where she is now!” Kol announced as he walked into the house.

My eyes widened at the sound of a second very familiar heartbeat. Klaus watched me with concern as I sat up. He immediately flashed to the other side of the bed and offered his assistance. I gave him a shy smile and held onto his forearm, pulling myself up and hesitantly letting my weight go onto my feet; which I then realized were bare and filthy. I snuck a glance at the bed, cringing as I saw that it, too, matched my feet.

“Sorry,” I murmured, feeling my cheeks turn red.

“Don’t worry about it, love,” Klaus told me with a little shrug.

My attention was turned to the doorway as I heard my mom sigh in relief.

“Thank goodness you’re alright!” she exclaimed as she engulfed me in a motherly hug. I smiled and wrapped my arms around her, grateful that things between us were so different now.

“I am now,” I said with a laugh. “But I was more worried about _you_. By the way, how badly did Kol get on your nerves?” I asked, looking over her shoulder at Kol, who was leaning against the doorframe, and giving him a smug look.

“Hey!” he defended, uncrossing his arms to briefly raise his palms up in a what-did-I-do manner. I smiled at him and mouthed the words _thank you_ , causing his mock-hurt expression to turn into a sheepish grin. He gave me a small acknowledging nod.

“So _where_ , exactly, is Elena?” Stefan asked, turning towards Kol with a raised eyebrow.

“With your twit of a brother,” he answered, flashing Stefan a fake smile. My mom and I pulled away from each other to watch their exchange. “So unless you’d like to begin hunting them down, I suggest we bring them to us; which means I’m going to need your phone.”

“Um…” Stefan narrowed his eyes and hesitated. “I’m not sure if that’s the best idea.”

“Listen,” Kol snapped, his patience running dangerously low. “I know we’ve tried to kill each other and our friends and families dozens of times, and we don’t trust each other to do so much as hold our drink. And no matter how much I want to kill your brother and your _precious_ doppelganger, I am refraining from doing so for the benefit of Caroline because she got on my good side. Now, if you would like to join her, then please trust me enough to let me use your phone, and perhaps we can move on to tolerating each other.”

Stefan watched him warily for a moment, then sighed in defeat and handed over his phone.

The corner of Kol’s mouth turned up a bit.

“Much appreciated,” he told Stefan sarcastically.

I glanced at my mom from the corner of my eye, seeing her glum expression, and reached out to squeeze her hand reassuringly. She gave me a small smile and squeezed back.

We turned our attention back to Kol, who now had the phone held up to his ear and a determined glint in his eye.

“Well,” I heard Damon’s voice say through the speaker. “I found her a few miles into town. To make a long story short, let’s just say my neck snapping skills are _much_ faster than hers.”

I rolled my eyes, practically being able to see him and his self-righteous smirk all the way from here.

“Fantastic!” Kol exclaimed. “Well, fantastic for _me_ , but not for you since my neck snapping skills are a _thousand_ times better than yours.”

I actually grinned along with Kol.

“Kol,” Damon stated with distain. “What’d you do to Stefan?”

“Damon!” Kol gasped dramatically. “You wound me!” He clutched at his chest for affect. “I’ll have you know that your brother is perfectly alright! Well, other than this whole _Elena_ situation,” he said, rolling his eyes. “Oh, and speaking of Elena, I want you to bring her here to my mansion.”

“ _Your_ mansion?” Klaus asked incredulously, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms, his head cocking to the side.

Kol rolled his eyes.

“Fine,” Kol huffed, raising both eyebrows in annoyance. “ _Nik’s_ mansion.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line.

“Give me one good reason why I should do anything you say,” Damon snapped.

Kol chuckled darkly. “Because if you don’t, I will hunt you down myself and bring you here, except in many pieces.”

Damon laughed.

My eyes widened as Kol’s glare became even more deadly.

“You won’t kill me,” Damon stated plainly. “Because if you did, it would make your little blonde vampire Barbie angry; which you won’t do because for some creepy and unexplained reason, you want to be all buddy-buddy with her.”

Kol narrowed his eyes and stared at the wall. “I didn’t say I would kill you. But I think at this point, even if I did,” his eyes flickered towards me. “Caroline would still forgive me.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, refusing to answer with a yes or a no. Right now, I really wouldn’t mind having the _Damon-and-Elena_ drama out of my life. But did he really deserve _death_?

Half of me screamed _yes_. The other half felt guilty for thinking so harshly and murmured _no_.

“You have two minutes before my patience runs out,” Kol growled sternly, before hanging up and handing the phone back to Stefan.

My mom cleared her throat awkwardly.

“So,” she began, glancing at Klaus’s enormous bed. “That looks… antique.” She cringed at her poor choice of words. Kol snorted. “What I meant was – “

“That I’m an old man?” Klaus asked, holding his hands behind his back and grinning. “Yes, well, you’re not the first one to comment on my age.” He pointedly looked at me, narrowing his mischievous eyes.

Why was he – ?

Oh.

_Aren’t you, like, a billion or something?_

I blushed.

“ _Right_ ,” I said, clicking my tongue. “ _Adjust your perception of time_ and what not.”

Klaus smiled knowingly. “Exactly.”

My mom gasped. “Caroline, your leg!” I looked down and saw the dried blood that remained on my thigh. “What happened?”

“It’s nothing, mom,” I said with a small smile. “I’m fine now, that’s all that matters.” I glanced at Klaus. “Thank you for helping us. For helping _me_.”

“Oh, Caroline,” he answered, lip turned up at the corner. “It was _my pleasure_.”

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, trying to push away the smile from my face.

The front door opened and closed followed by footsteps, turning everyone’s attention to the bedroom doorway. Damon stood there with a skeptical expression, Elena’s unconscious (and technically dead) body hanging over his shoulder.

“The hell’s going on here?” he asked, eyes flickering across the group that had gathered.

“ _What’s going on_?” Kol retorted. “Do you even look at anything around you, Damon?”

Damon ground his teeth and carefully set Elena on the floor, keeping his glare on Kol. “Explain.”

A small gasp sounded from the limp body, which suddenly came back to life. Her hands clutched at her neck, eyes flickering up in fear.

“ _No_!” Elena growled, leaping to her feet and flashing towards the doorway. Kol was faster.

“Now, now, darling, not so fast,” Kol teased, his hand gripping Elena’s throat. “You’re going to do the explaining!” His voice changed and his pupils dilated. “Why were you running from Damon?”

“Because I knew he would drag me back to the house where he and Stefan would spend every second of the day trying to make me feel something,” she said with a snarl and a furious glint in her eye.

“But you’re feeling something right now, aren’t you?” Kol asked with narrowed eyes.

“No!”  

“Oh come now, darling, don’t offend my lie-detecting skills!” he said with a smirk. “I can see the despair in your eyes and feel the fear pumping through your veins. You know I’m not afraid to rip out your throat,” he emphasized his point with a tight squeeze. She gasped. I could see the fear flash through her, then. Kol was right.

“Why do you wanna’ kill her?” Damon growled. “I’m the one you’re angry with! Kill me, dammit! Kill _me_!”

“I think you’re forgetting that Elena and her brother are the reason I died in the first place,” Kol told him. “But I’m not going to kill either one of you.” His pupils dilated again. “Did you turn off your humanity again?”

“Yes,” she choked.

“How,” he commanded.

“You compelled me to turn it on,” Elena answered hoarsely. “You never said how long I had to keep it that way.”

Kol chuckled in amusement. “You found a loophole.” His face suddenly changed into a look of burning fury. “Your humanity has been off for an hour or so, I presume?”

“Yes,” she squeaked, her hands that were gripping at Kol’s arms beginning to wobble with fear.

“Are you the one who lit Caroline’s house on fire with the intent of killing both her and her mother?”

“Wait, _what_?” Stefan snapped, gaping at Elena in horror.

I glanced at Klaus, whose entire body was shaking with fury, and his blue eyes were beginning to swirl with yellow.

“If you _dared_ ,” Klaus snarled fiercely, his voice barely sounding human. “To harm a _single_ hair on her head - ”

Damon’s eyes widened in painful disbelief. “Elena,” he begged sincerely. “ _Please_ , _please_ tell me you didn’t.”

She gulped and clenched her jaw stubbornly, trying to push away any emotions that were flooding in.

“ _Yes_ ,” she croaked. “Yes I’m the one who burned Caroline’s house to the ground.”

Klaus snarled.

Damon’s eyes watered.

Stefan looked disappointed and ashamed.

My mom’s emotions were a mix of all three of theirs.

“ _Yes_ , I wanted them both to die slowly and painfully,” Elena growled, looking me in the eye. “But _no_ , I don’t feel a single ounce of remorse for doing it.”

Kol’s eyes burned into hers.

“Well you’re about to,” he ground out, moving a few inches closer to her face and causing her to wince. He squeezed his hand tighter around her neck, forcing her to look into his dilated eyes. “You will turn on your humanity and never turn it off again throughout your _entire_ existence unless I say otherwise. You will handle the pain and the guilt that comes over you instead of bawling like a baby. And if you _ever_ see my face again, you will turn and run in the other direction because you will fear for your life, and with good reason.”

Elena gasped and her body shook as the compulsion took over. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she cried out in pain.

Kol released her neck and shoved her away from him, as if he was repulsed by her. He walked out of the room just as Elena’s knees gave out.

Damon was beside her in the same moment, holding her up, while Stefan stood back with a clenched jaw and tight fists. His knuckles were turning white.

I crossed the room and knelt in front of her, putting my hands on her cheeks and gently raising her head.

“Elena?” I asked hesitantly.

Tears rolled down her cheeks and dripped to the floor. Her wet eyelashes slowly parted and I inhaled sharply as I looked into her eyes: It was the old Elena again.

She winced, giving me a guilty look.

“Care, I’m _sorry_ , I wasn’t – “

“It’s ok,” I said with a laugh. “It’s ok, I forgive you.”

I hugged her tightly, my eyes watering as I felt her arms wrapping around me.

“I know you forgive me,” she said with a humorless laugh. “But I don’t think I can forgive myself. At least, not yet.”

I pulled back and shook my head in confusion. “What do you mean?”

She gave Damon a hesitant look, to which his expression became confused. Elena took a deep, calming breath. “I think Damon and I should leave Mystic Falls. I’ve already caused enough damage, and I’m pretty sure you guys need a break from me.”

I sighed.

“Elena, you’re upset, and this seems like a really quick decision that – “

“No, no,” Elena answered, shaking her head. “I thought about it earlier tonight, the _first_ time my humanity was back on. I’ve made enough drama and I’m just…” she shook her head again. “I need to get out of here, Care. I’ve needed to for so long but I didn’t want to hurt anyone. And now, I’ve already hurt everyone that I love! We all need this.”

I pressed my lips together and nodded, giving her a small smile. “I’ll miss you, ‘Lena.”

She laughed. “I’ll miss you too, Care.”


	18. The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants

Caroline’s POV

A third of the moon shone brightly in the sky. The only sounds that could be heard were crickets chirping and leaves crunching as Damon and Elena left the mansion. I leaned my back against a beam on Klaus’s front porch, my arms crossed tightly over my chest, as I watched the two retreating forms.

_They’re leaving town… Shouldn’t I be worried?_

As if my thoughts had been read, I heard the thud of Klaus’s boots as he walked up behind me.

“Are you unhappy?” he asked softly.

I let out a breath as the two figures disappeared into the dark woods.

“No, it’s not that,” I answered truthfully. “She needs this. _They_ need this. We all do after everything that’s happened. After she calmed down tonight, I told her I wasn’t ready to _forgive and forget_ , and she understood. Which is great and all, but it’s…” I hesitated, then let out a sigh. “It’s just weird to let my life-long best friend walk away so easily. I mean, everything’s just changed so much, and the world has gotten so hectic, and I just can’t - ”

“Caroline,” Klaus said soothingly, walking closer so that he could place a hand on my shoulder. “Breathe.”

I let out a long breath and closed my eyes, concentrating on my breathing and the feeling of Klaus’s thumb rubbing circles on my shoulder.

“I need sleep,” I said, laughing humorlessly. “I’m getting all stressed out and cranky.”

“Ah yes, I have heard that sleep deprivation can do many strange things to a person,” he said with a smirk. I smiled and leaned against his chest, letting my head loll in the crook of his neck.

“The problem with sleeping is that I don’t exactly have a house now,” I told him sadly. “Or clothes.”

Klaus wrapped both of his arms around my waist and pulled me even tighter against him. “I actually happen to quite like the ones you’re wearing, minus the blood and soot.”

I let out a laugh.

“Yeah, well, looks like I’m gonna be doing a lot of shopping tomorrow,” I told him, watching the stars above us.

“You’re more than welcome to stay here, Caroline,” he murmured closely to my ear, nuzzling my hair with his nose. “You and your mother both. There are at least a dozen rooms to choose from. All you have to do is ask.”

I smiled at that.

“Mmm, I don’t know. I’d hate to ruin your pretty white sheets with my dirty clothes.”

“Who says you have to wear your _dirty_ _clothes_ ,” Klaus growled playfully, tickling his stubble against my neck. I giggled and jumped away from him, but he kept our hands intertwined. “In a more serious tone, I am sure Rebekah has something suitable for you to wear,” he said with a reassuring grin.

I paused and narrowed my eyes. “I think she might be mad that you’re loaning out her clothes.”

“She’ll get over it,” Klaus answered with a shrug, grinning like a mad man. I grinned back at him.

“Well in _that_ case,” I said, letting him tug me closer, “I guess we’ll stay. But _no_ funny business, got it!” I ordered, using my free hand to point at him, sending him a very stern look.

Klaus raised his hands defensively.

“No funny business. I promise,” he answered, grinning again.

I returned his smiled.

“Good,” I shot back, pulling his hand with me as I walked back inside the house. “Where is Rebekah, anyway?”

Klaus let out a sarcastic laugh as we entered the living room.

“Like I would know of my sister’s whereabouts these days! Besides, I’m sure she’s very much enjoying her new found freedom from my constant worry over her choices in men.”

“You worry about the guys she’s dating?” I asked in disbelief.

“I wouldn’t call it worrying,” he defended.

I shook my head and answered, “Sure, Mr. Protective Big Brother.”

Stefan approached us with a half-empty bottle in one hand.

“Speaking of _big brothers_ ,” Stefan announced in a slurred voice, “There’s not a _chance_ I’m goin’ back to my own room tonight. I mean, _maybe_ I’ll go back once the former love of my life and my insane older brother have packed up their crap and left. That is, if I can even stand to look at that house ever again. _But,_ until then - !” he waved the bottle around in the air, “I’m all yours!” Stefan said, raising his index finger off the bottle to point at Klaus and give him a sloppy grin. Klaus raised his eyebrows and tried to hide his smile, then nodded at Stefan in acknowledgment. Stefan tipped the bottle up to his lips, closing his eyes and taking a generous swig.

“Well,” Kol said as he entered the room, plopping onto the couch and resting his feet on the coffee table. “If I had known there was a drinking party, I would’ve arrived sooner!”

“Ah, Kol!” Stefan said happily, waving the bottle around in the air. “A fellow vampire whom I can compete with to see which of us can die of liver failure first! But I’m a little ahead of you at the moment.”

Klaus had his eyes narrowed at Kol’s boots, which were on his favorite table, and was about to scold him; but Stefan got there first and swatted at Kol’s feet, then flopped onto the other side of the couch and started to take another drink.

Kol watched Stefan curiously.

“Well, in that case, I’m going to need this,” Kol said, reaching to take the bottle from Stefan. But to Kol’s surprise, Stefan jerked back and held his drink as far away from Kol as he could manage.

“Nuh uh, buddy,” Stefan argued with a shake of his head. “This is like _five years_ of therapy for me. I have been _horribly_ traumatized. Let me enjoy my few brief moments of absent-mindedness.”

Stefan took another drink and Kol shrugged.

“Whatever you say, mate.”

* * *

Klaus led me upstairs to Rebekah’s extra closet; a room _filled_ with clothes and shoes.

And when I say _room_ , I mean a room the size of an actual store.

Several wardrobes and dressers were scattered across the room. One wall was covered from top to bottom with nothing but built-in shelves for all of her shoes. It had two round seats in the middle of the room, along with a larger-than-average full length mirror mounted to one wall. I noticed an open doorway at the back of the room that led into a huge walk-in closet; who _knows_ what’s in there.

Metal racks filled with clothes were arranged to make a few aisles in the room, along with several more along another wall. Most of the clothes still had price tags, which were written in French.

“Wow,” I declared in shock. “How does she even – I mean why – and where did – “

“It’s a collection of everything she’s bought since she’s been in Mystic Falls,” Klaus explained. “A bit overwhelming, I know.”

I let out a laugh as my eyes skipped across the metal racks that filled the room.

“A _bit_? She’s got more clothes in this room then I’ve had total in my whole life!” I walked towards the closest rack and reached for a hanger, but then stopped my hand in midair.

“Do you really think she won’t freak out?” I asked hesitantly.

Klaus gave me a reassuring smile. “If she notices something missing, then yes, she will be quite distraught. But rest assured, Rebekah won’t harm a hair on your head once I make a deal with her for your safety in exchange for my blessing.”

I turned and gave him a look of disbelief. “Your _blessing_?”

“Yes, for her and your quarterback friend, of course,” he answered with a small grin.

I pursed my lips.

“And what about Matt? You don’t think she’d hurt him?” I inquired.

Klaus took a few steps towards me.

“Oh don’t worry, love,” he soothed. “If my firsthand accounts of her behavior towards Matt do not deceive me, I’d bet my sister would rip off the hand that tried to hurt him.”

A smile slowly spread across my face.

“Well, good,” I stated.

He watched me curiously, the corners of his lips turning up. I turned my back to him and returned to the task at hand, finding a silky, light blue baby doll nightgown. My fingers slipped across the fabric.

“Find something you like?” I heard Klaus ask. A wide grin stretched across my face as I hid the article of clothing out of sight.

“Yep,” I answered, turning to face him. He cocked his head to the side at my actions, eyes going into slits.

“What are you doing, love?”

I held up my chin defiantly.

“I found something I like,” I told him simply.

He raised both eyebrows.

“And you’re not going to show me your choice?”

I grinned.

“Nope.”

He watched me strangely for a few more moments before nodding his head and moving to the side.

“Well then, I suppose you should grab something in here for your mother to wear and then I’ll show you to your room.”

I smiled in mock-sweetness.

“Sounds good to me.”

* * *

After I gave my mom clothes to change into and Klaus showed her numerous rooms to choose from, he directed me up another floor towards one that he called _very_ _special_.

Of course, it was huge and elaborately decorated, just like the rest of his mansion. (I expected nothing less.)

“Soo not to sound rude,” I began, “but why is this room so special?”

Klaus smirked.

“Because it’s directly across the hall from mine.”

I raised my eyebrows and crossed my arms over my chest.

“And what makes you think I wanna sleep so close to the most dangerous person on earth?” I asked, turning the sass on full-force.

“Oh Caroline,” he said in a silky voice, taking a step closer to me. “I’m sure you’ve conjured up situations much worse in that pretty little head of yours judging by your enthusiasm during our _previous_ _activities_.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, but he only moved closer, his lips brushing against my ear. My breathing may or may not have stopped. Maybe.

“Sleep well, _Caroline_ ,” Klaus whispered saucily in my ear, his breath tickling my neck. “And don’t let anything that crawls into your bed _bite_ _you_.”

And then, with a smirk that did _many_ inappropriate things to me, Klaus spun on his heel and left the room, closing the door on his way out.

…

 _Wow_.

* * *

** Kol’s POV **

“Careful, mate, you’ve already passed out twice from liver failure and it’s only been an hour!” I told Stefan as he finished another bottle of bourbon. The man could _drink_.

“Hmm,” he hummed happily. “I think you’re just jealous that I can drink more than you can even though I’m one tenth of your age.” He wiggled his eyebrows with a proud grin on his face.

“Hey, in my defense, I’ve spent half of my thousand years living in a box, soo…” I shrugged, taking another sip from my own bottle.

Stefan snorted and shook his head.

“Excuses. I need another!” he exclaimed, throwing himself off the couch to saunter towards the liquor table. I laughed and took another drink.

I’m actually growing quite fond of this Salvatore.

 _Huh_. Who knew?

I felt a buzzing in my pocket and quickly moved to take out my blender. Or toaster. Or whatever the bloody thing is called!

I recognized the numbers on the screen and pressed a button to answer.

“Is it done?” I asked, my tone changing to sound threatening.

“It’s done. But we can’t continue further without you. And I believe we had an agreement,” the voice answered.

“Of course,” I shot back slyly. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. Make sure you’re prepared. I want this finished tonight. And if this doesn’t work - ”

“It will work,” the voice assured me. “With your blood and my family’s power, we can easily defy nature.”

“Good,” I said, ending the conversation just as Stefan plopped onto the couch.

“Who was that? Your imaginary girlfriend?” he teased.

I sighed. “No, but you’ll certainly want to meet who I’m bringing here in the morning.”

Stefan shrugged nonchalantly.

“Whatever, man,” he answered, taking a sip from his newly found bottle and then wincing. “Agh, when did you get this stuff, the 1400’s?!”

* * *

** Caroline’s POV **

The warmth of sunlight on my skin brought me out of my dreams. I cracked open an eye and glanced at the window, where sunshine poured through and lit up the entire room. I groaned, rolling over and covering my face with a pillow. This bed was too comfortable to get out of it just yet. I had just gotten the best sleep of my whole life, and the sun was _not_ about to ruin it for me.

That is, at least, until I smelled something delicious.

Pulling my head out from under the pillow, I pushed my hair out of my face and inhaled deeply.

Is that… _pancakes_?

My stomach grumbled and the smell grew stronger.

I threw off the blankets, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and hopping up, prancing towards the door. I followed the yummy smell straight into the kitchen and smiled at the sight of Klaus frying pancakes. Silently creeping up behind him, I got within inches of his back and –

“Still not happening, love,” he said, not even turning around to look at me.

“Party pooper,” I grumbled, hearing Klaus chuckle in response. I jumped onto a tall chair that sat at the counter behind Klaus. The sound of Stefan padding down the stairs caught my attention.

“I smell something that I’m about to _devour_ ,” he announced from the living room. “It would be wise to take a few steps back. I might accidentally rip off someone’s arm.”

I turned around just as he walked into the kitchen, giving him a smile. He smiled back at me, but then his eyes flickered towards my hair. His eyebrows shot up and he pressed his lips together to contain his smile.

“Uh, Care,” he said, walking towards me and motioning towards my head, a wide grin on his face. “You might wanna, um, I don’t know, _do_ _something_ with that.”

My eyes widened and my fingers flew to my hair, quickly combing through it. I heard Klaus chuckle from behind me.

_Too late to save yourself from embarrassment now._

My cheeks turned red.

“Well,” I sputtered, “at least I don’t smell like I took a bath in bourbon!” I shot Stefan a look.

Stefan scoffed and shook his head, eyes wide.

“The heart wants what the heart wants,” he answered with a smile, coming to sit on a chair beside me.

“You’re both in awfully good moods despite the events last night,” Klaus stated, glancing back at both of us.

Stefan shrugged. “What can I say? Food makes me happy.”

Klaus grinned mischievously.

“I’m well aware of that, _rippah_.”

“That’s not… just _no_ ,” Stefan told him, shaking his head with a grimace.

“Hey, do you guys know if my mom’s up yet?” I asked.

“She left just a few minutes ago,” Klaus answered. “She said she had a lot to do at work, especially with the incident last night. Rebekah _graciously_ drove her to the station.”

My eyebrows scrunched together.

“That was suspiciously nice of her,” I said, worry present in my voice.

Klaus smiled.

“Worry not, love,” he reassured me. “I might have told her that helping the sheriff would get her on better terms with your friend Matt, who she seems to be _very_ infatuated with.”

I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips.

“Yeah, should I be worried about that?” I asked.

“Nope,” Stefan spoke up. “She’s the best protection Matt could possibly have. Anyone who tried to hurt him would have to go through a feisty blonde Original.”

“Speaking of feisty Originals,” Klaus began, “have either of you seen Kol?”

I glanced at Klaus and gave him a shrug.

“Actually,” Stefan began, squinting as he spoke. “He did say something last night about bringing someone over. Hopefully he didn’t mean a live buffet…”

“If he gets blood soaked into my couch again,” Klaus growled out in warning.

Stefan raised both eyebrows. “Ah, so _that’s_ why I was drooling when I woke up.”

Klaus raised both eyebrows in amusement while I laughed.

“Well I slept like a baby,” I stated happily, grabbing the carton of orange juice off the counter and pouring myself a glass.

“I woke up with a headache and a lot of bottles around me,” Stefan said, “I think I _actually_ damaged my liver.”

I snorted.

“That’s what happens when you try to out-drink an Original. Trust me, I’d know,” I told him with grin, taking a sip of orange juice.

I heard the front door open and close.

“Speak of the devil…” Klaus said with a sigh.

“Good morning, my fellow nightwalkers!” Kol announced as he theatrically burst into the kitchen. “Have no fear, the party is _here_.” He motioned towards himself. “I heard my name being spoken. Fess up: who missed my overwhelming perfection?”

“Hmm,” Klaus narrowed his eyes and cocked his head. “No, I think you’ve got the wrong house.”

Stefan and I grinned and watched Kol as he dramatically placed a hand over his chest and feigned hurt.

“Brother, you wound me! And to think I was going to bake you cupcakes,” Kol said with a sigh. “Oh well. Your loss.”

“Uh,” Stefan piped in, “I would most certainly not object to cupcakes right now.” He turned towards me. “Would _you_ object to watching him bake cupcakes right now? Especially since, ya know, he doesn’t know how to use an oven.”

I pressed my lips together to hide my smile.

“He’s right; that sounds like a _brilliant_ idea,” Klaus teased, his eyes dancing in amusement.

Stefan turned to Kol and smirked at him. “Are you up for that task?” he teased.

Kol smiled and shook his head at Stefan, clicking his tongue.

“Ah Stefan,” Kol said with a sigh. “I’m disappointed that you’d be so quick to wish for my humiliation. And here I assumed that our bonding last night had actually meant something to you.”

Stefan’s smile disappeared and he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. I watched Kol carefully, and even Klaus turned to narrow his eyes.

“Kol,” the hybrid warned.

Kol let out a laugh.

“Relax, brother! I’m not going to run around breaking necks just because I’m being jested. Unlike _some people_ , I can actually take a joke,” he shot back, sending Klaus a pointed look. “It’s just that I was going to give Stefan over here,” he said, waving towards Stefan, “a _very special_ gift, but I’m not so sure he likes me enough to accept it.”

Stefan’s eyebrows pulled tightly together.

“Uh, what do you mean _special gift_?” he asked, standing up from the chair beside me.

“Ah, so _now_ you’re interested!” Kol shot back with a mischievous smirk on his face.

“Sure. Well, ya know, as long as it’s not a dead body,” Stefan replied, crossing his arms and raising both eyebrows at Kol.

Kol narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side, thinking for a moment before finally shrugging and giving Stefan a smile.

“Well I suppose that depends on how you choose to look at it.”

Klaus, Stefan, and I all had confused expressions as Kol smiled like a mad man.

“You can come in now, darling,” Kol announced, his lips still turned up in a grin.

The front door opened then, causing everyone’s eyes to flicker towards the kitchen entrance; everyone except Kol, who was watching Stefan’s face. In the next second, when the mysterious _gift_ strolled into the room, Stefan sucked in a rough breath and exhaled harshly. His voice was hoarse and filled with emotion as he gasped out:

“ _Lexi_ …”

 


	19. You Had A Friend?

“ _Lexi_ ,” Stefan gasped out, his voice rough.

Lexi smiled and narrowed her eyes.

“No, it’s just Damon with a rubber Lexi-costume glued to his body,” she teased, resting her hands on her hips.

Stefan let out a shaky laugh, his lips still parted in shock.

“It’s really you,” Stefan said in amazement, his eyes wide. “How are you here right now? How can I see you?”

Lexi pursed her lips and furrowed her eyebrows.

“Um, because I’m _actually_ here. _Duh_ ,” she said, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

Stefan glanced over her and rushed to her side, hesitantly touching her shoulder. He let out a breath and smiled, staring at his friend.

Lexi’s eyebrows shot up and she gave him a teasing look.

“What’d you expect, your hand to go straight through me like I’m some kind of, oh I don’t know, _ghost_? That’s just crazy, Stefan. Have you been watching TV again?”

Stefan laughed and Lexi smiled in return, leaping at him and throwing her arms around his neck. He squeezed her close to him and spun in a circle, making both of them laugh.

I smiled at their reunion, but then my eyebrows pulled together.

“Hey, wait a minute,” I said, getting everyone’s attention. “If you’re Lexi and you’re supposed to be _dead_ , then how are you...” I trailed off.

Lexi pulled halfway out of Stefan’s embrace.

“Hey, don’t look at me, it was all _his_ idea,” Lexi answered, pointing at Kol, then turning to give Stefan a big grin. “Happy early birthday.”

Stefan laughed and hugged her again.

“So you’re actually back?” he questioned. “For real this time?”

“Yeah, sure,” she announced sarcastically. “Ya’, know, as long as no one else decides to plunge a stake through my chest, I’ll be _just fine_.”

“Well that’s never _ever_ happening again,” he reassured her.

“And if it did?” she asked sadly.

Stefan grinned and rubbed her shoulder soothingly. “Then I would tear out their spleen and make them choke to death on it.”

I snorted.

Klaus took a few steps towards them and smirked.

“Oh come now, Stefan,” Klaus teased. “I thought your imagination was much darker than that. Surely you could devise a much more painful method of ending whoever attempted to hurt your friend here. Although judging by your overjoyed reaction and your close bond, I assume Lexi’s killer is already dead.”

Stefan pursed his lips as he hesitated. “Actually, Damon is the one who killed her.”

Klaus’s amused expression fell.

Lexi scoffed.

“Who _hasn’t_ Damon killed?” she exclaimed sarcastically, turning towards Stefan. “No, seriously, we should get some paper and make a list.”

“I think we’d only need a post-it note,” I retorted.

Stefan chuckled and Lexi smiled at me.

“So _you’re_ the famous Caroline Forbes,” she stated, walking towards me and studying my face. “I guess Stefan prefers blondes as best friends,” she mused, grinning at me. “Well, except for Klaus. He doesn’t count.”

Klaus chuckled and gave Stefan a dark grin. “If my memory serves me correctly, I’d say I definitely _was_ one of his best friends.”

Kol cocked his head to the side. “You had a _friend_?” he mocked with disbelief.

I snorted and Klaus glared at his brother.

Stefan let out an exaggerated sigh. “I was his best friend once during the twenties,” he admitted. “Long story short, Mikael showed up and Klaus compelled me to forget everything. In my defense, I was a ripper at the time, so you know,” he pointed at his head, “ _this_ part of me wasn’t working very well.”

Lexi turned towards Klaus.

“Speaking of Klaus _compelling people_ ,” Lexi began, flashing towards the hybrid. A loud slap resounded through the room. Klaus rubbed his jaw and glared at Lexi. “That was for compelling _me_.” Another _smack!_ Klaus growled this time. “And _that_ was for compelling Stefan to hurt Elena and then making him turn off his humanity.”

Klaus breathed out through his nose and glared daggers at Lexi. “You _really_ shouldn’t – “

_Smack!!!_

Klaus snarled loudly.

“And _that_ was to make me smile,” Lexi stated with a smirk, pointing to her happy expression. “See! It worked!”

Kol busted out laughing. “I missed you _so much_ , darling.”

Klaus turned his face back towards her, his fists trembling and his blue eyes turning dark.

“Wait, wait, hold on a second,” Stefan interrupted, waving his hands in the air and looking at Lexi. “When did Klaus compel you?”

Lexi turned to face Stefan and huffed. “A few years before I met you, I was best friends with Kol; arguably the second most dangerous Mikaelson.”

Kol smirked proudly.

“Pretty much the same thing that happened to you happened to me,” Lexi continued. “Kol wanted to explore the world with his only best friend. But Mikael was close by and Klaus thought the likelihood of their father catching us was too high. I was a weakness, so Klaus compelled me to forget them all, including Kol. And of course, making Kol angry isn’t the smartest thing in the world to do; he nearly tore off this hybrid’s head,” she pointed a thumb at Klaus.

“Actually,” Kol said, “I was going for his arms, but either one would’ve worked for me.” He grinned, suddenly taking over the story. “So then, my predictably annoying brother put a dagger in my chest and stuck me inside a coffin. I was trapped in there until you lot un-daggered me. I feel like I should say thanks for that, but then your precious doppelganger and her brother staked me, sooo let’s just say I’ve lost that feeling.”

“Well, don’t freak out,” Stefan began, “but Jeremy killed you so that we could find Silas.”

Kol narrowed his eyes and smiled mockingly. “And how well did that go, hmm?”

Stefan opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it again and nodded once. “Point taken. But now Silas is back and apparently wants to bring back every dead supernatural being. Obviously, that’s a bit of a problem.”

Kol raised his eyebrows. “You don’t say?”

Klaus walked towards Stefan.

“Now that we have one more Original on our side,” Klaus said, placing his hand on Kol’s shoulder, “what do you say we put all our minds together and think of a solution to save the world?”

I grinned and said, “Avengers assemble.”

Kol pointed at me with a smile on his face. “I understood that reference.”

I raised both eyebrows. “And I understood that one.”

* * *

 

“Ok, obviously Silas can get into all of our heads,” Stefan said as everyone came to sit in the living room. “And if he’s powerful enough to make us see him as someone else, then none of us have a chance.”

I raised my eyebrows. “I’m hoping there’s going to be a ‘but’.”

“ _But_ ,” Stefan began, shooting me a teasing look, “we happen to have a very powerful friend who hates Silas almost more than we do.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about the hating part,” Klaus stated, gritting his teeth.

“Bonnie,” I said. Stefan nodded. “We have no idea how much power she has inside of her. If Qetsiyah is the one who put Silas down in the first place, then maybe Bonnie’s family line of witches makes her able to do the same thing. That, added onto how much stronger she is now that she’s using expression, makes her our best hope.”

I pursed my lips and pulled out my phone, quickly calling Bonnie.

“Hey, what’s up?” she answered.

“Hey, we might have part of a plan to stop Silas, but it involves you using a whole lot of magic,” I told her.

She was silent for a few moments. I heard her sigh.

“Okay,” she said solemnly. “I knew this was coming. When?”

I only had to think for a second. “Tonight. We’re doing it tonight.”

“But tonight’s the prom,” Bonnie said in confusion. “You’ve worked so hard to plan it. Don’t you at least wanna’ get to enjoy it?”

I hesitated and glanced at every eager face in the room, stopping on Klaus and holding his simmering gaze. “I will enjoy it,” I finally said. “I’ll get to see you take down a 2,000 year old witchy vampire while looking fabulous in a prom dress. What’s not to enjoy?”

Bonnie chuckled. “Right. What’s not to enjoy?”

* * *

 

“What do you mean it’s not there?” I snapped at the woman behind the counter.

“I’m sorry,” she answered sadly. “But someone else came and got it yesterday. They told me they needed it more than you did.”

My jaw dropped and my face wrinkled in disgust.

“What?! That dress was custom fitted for _me_. Who took it?” I demanded.

The woman’s face went blank. My expression fell as I recognized the look. She had been compelled to forget.

“I honestly don’t remember,” she answered, her expression puzzled. “I’m sorry.”

I shook my head dismissively. “No, it’s fine. It’s not your fault. Thanks anyway.”

As I walked out the door, I noticed that the sun was beginning to set. I groaned in frustration. Prom was in half an hour and I didn’t even have a dress, all thanks to Elena. I knew she was up to something when she saw me try on the dress! _Ugh_!

I glanced around, searching for another store that would still be open this late, but without any luck. All the stores were already sold out of the best dresses, and I wasn’t going to the prom that I planned in just _any_ dress. No, I needed something that looked perfect.

I sighed. _Where am I going to find a dress?_

As I tried to come with an idea, a familiar face popped into my head. I stopped mid-step and thought _um, no way. I am not asking him for -_ …

I glanced at the fading sun and let out a frustrated growl.

_Doesn’t look like I’m going to get much of choice._

I jumped into my car and drove at a ridiculous speed to Klaus’s mansion.

* * *

 

I only had to knock once before the door was being pulled open and a dimpled smile greeted me.

“And what brings the magnificent Caroline Forbes here this evening?” Klaus asked in a silky voice. “I thought you’d already have your hair styled to perfection and be wearing your undoubtedly stunning dress.”

I groaned as I walked past him into the house.

“That’s the problem,” I announced, not bothering to hide my contempt. “Elena stole my prom dress! I went to pick it up and the lady told me someone else already had gotten it, and when I asked who, she said she couldn’t remember.” I put my hands on my hips. “And now it’s less than half an hour before prom starts and I have to be there early and I don’t even have a dress!”

Klaus raised his eyebrows at me in amusement. “And you couldn’t find another dress?”

I groaned and dropped my hands in frustration. “ _No_ ,” I whined.

Klaus tried to hide his smile, folding his hands behind his back and walking closer towards me.

“And when you couldn’t find the proper attire, you came here, to _me_ , exactly _why_?” he asked smugly.

I shot a glare at him. _Oh he is really enjoying this, isn’t he?_

I released a calming breath and put on my best doe eyes. “I came here because out of every store in this town and despite my acute fashion-ninja skills, you’re still the best person to have a dress that’s guaranteed to be beautiful.” He smiled warmly at me. I batted my eyelashes and stepped closer. “So can you please, _please_ go back into your creepy trophy case of family collectibles and dig me out something of royal caliber?” I added another bat of my eyelashes for further effect.

Klaus smiled.

“Alright, you’ve persuaded me, Miss Forbes,” he answered smugly, walking backwards to the stairs and beckoning me with his hand. “I’m sure I can procure a dress worthy of your potent beauty.”

I rolled my eyes, trying unsuccessfully to push away my smile, and then followed him up the long staircase. We passed half a dozen rooms before Klaus finally came to a halt, shooting a wicked grin at me, and then opening pulling the door open. I walked into the pitch black room, which was quickly lit up as Klaus flipped on a switch.

I choked on my breath.

The room was literally _filled_ with things that must’ve been hundreds of years old. Paintings that looked like they belonged in a museum covered the walls. Chinese vases, musical instruments, and other antique items I had only seen in movies were scattered throughout the room. Fifteen or more large, brown trunks were stacked neatly in one corner, and in another corner were more colorful trunks with silk gowns spilling out of them. The room had so many breathtaking things in it that I was completely speechless.

“You can close your mouth now, love,” Klaus spoke with a low chuckle.

I turned towards him.

“Who – where did – “ I stuttered lamely.

“This is where we keep our oldest and most treasured possessions, things we’ve picked up during the centuries that caught our attention,” he said. “Of course, Rebekah is the reason for the ridiculous amount of clothing, but I suppose her undying love for fashion will come to great use tonight.”

I let out a stunned laugh and gaped at the room with wide eyes.

“I don’t even know where to start,” I told him, glancing at the numerous trunks and dresses.

Klaus smirked. “Luckily for you, I know of the perfect dress you require for such an occasion.” He turned around to face the wall where the door was, and I followed suit.

My eyes probably looked like something from a cartoon.

An eight foot tall white armoire stood in front of me. It had a huge mirror in the center of it and a small door on either side. Gold trimmed the edges of the wood and curved out to create beautiful flowers where the trim stopped.

“Woah,” I gasped out.

“I thought you’d like it,” Klaus said confidently, taking a few steps forward and stopping in front of the armoire. He traced his index finger along some of the trim and then pushed one of the golden flowers in with a click. The door of the armoire opened, revealing the most beautiful gowns I had ever laid eyes on. There were evening gowns from several different eras and in many gorgeous colors; Royal blue, crimson, violet, and emerald green were only a few of them.

I covered my mouth with one hand and flailed the other, bouncing with excitement.

Klaus grinned and clasped his hands behind his back. “I take it by your reaction that you approve?”

I stopped bouncing to lightly smack him in the shoulder, eliciting a laugh from him.

“Of course I approve, you smug jerk! They’re… just… _stunning_ ,” I told him, gazing at the dresses and letting out a laugh. “Way more than stunning, actually. They look like they’re – “

“Fit for a queen,” he finished. “That’s exactly why you get to wear one of them.”

My eyes flitted to Klaus. He was staring at me intensely, waiting for my reaction. I certainly wasn’t going to disappoint him. I lurched forward and threw my arms around his neck, not caring how cliché it felt or how fast his arms made their way around my waist.

“Thank you,” I whispered, unable to think of anything else to say. “I owe you big time.”

“Can I get that in writing?” he asked smugly. I didn’t need to see his face to know that he was smiling, and he didn’t need to see mine to know that I was smiling right along with him.

 


	20. Feeling Rather Feisty

You know those pictures that say “A year ago, I never would’ve pictured my life the way it is now”? Yeah, that’s kind of an understatement for me.

I was making my entrance to the prom that I had planned, wearing an ivory strapless gown owned and given to me by the most dangerous person on earth, while having my arm looped through the arm of said scary hybrid. And also, we were both smiling.

If someone had shown me a picture of this very moment a year ago, I would have laughed and called them crazy, and then promptly gone to the eye doctor.

And yet here I was, being escorted by Klaus Mikaelson, who was in a fitted black suit that made every girl’s neck almost break as they hurried to gape at him. I’m sure the weird feeling in my stomach wasn’t jealousy. I mean, who _wouldn’t_ look at him the way he appeared right now? Dangerous hybrid or not, he looked _good_.

Apparently Klaus felt a tugging sensation in his stomach too, judging by the low growl he let out every time a guy dared to look at me. Without fail, the guy would gape at me, and then look to see who stood at my side, intending on giving my date a nasty look. They got a shock when they were met with Klaus’s fear-provoking stare that clearly screamed “avert your eyes before I tear them from your skull.”

Strangely, I didn’t get annoyed by this; I actually had to keep myself from laughing.

I smiled as I caught sight of Bonnie. I tugged Klaus along with me as I greeted her.

“Hey!” I said with a reassuring smile.

“Hey,” she answered, glancing at where my arm was looped through Klaus’s. But she quickly looked away and stared at the room in awe. “Everything is so gorgeous, Care.”

I smiled and looked over the decorations. “Thanks. I would hope it’s gorgeous, considering how much work I put into this crazy thing.”

My eyes flickered across the room to where Stefan and Lexi were talking animatedly with each other. Stefan caught my gaze and gave me a smile, which I quickly returned.

“I just wish Jeremy and Elena were here to see it,” Bonnie said quietly. “Hey, why aren’t you wearing the dress?” I turned back towards her and let out a huff.

“ _Apparently_ , someone else came a few days ago and picked it up. The lady said she couldn’t remember who it was,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Big mystery there, huh?”

Bonnie let out a sigh and looked apologetic.

“Well, at least you got another one in time. And besides, I think I like this one better,” she said with a smile, observing my dress. “Where did you – “

“Ah, that would be my doing,” Klaus interrupted, grinning at Bonnie like a mad man. Bonnie quirked an eyebrow at him, then looked at me in question.

I stuttered for a moment.

“Well…” I defended, feeling my cheeks turn red. “Nothing good was open and it was getting late and I figured he would have like a bagillion dresses stolen off the corpses of great queens just lying around waiting to be worn!”

Klaus let out a laugh, while Bonnie’s eyes widened. She glanced at him warily.

“So you’re saying,” Bonnie lowered her voice, “that you might be wearing the dress of a deceased lady while being accompanied by the possible murderer of said-deceased-lady?”

Klaus smirked and I let out a groan.

“Yeah, _maybe_ ,” I complained.

Bonnie opened her mouth but then shut it, shaking her head. “Ya’ know what, all I can say is that I hope you at least had it dry-cleaned, Klaus,” she finally said, shooting him a pointed look. This only further amused the hybrid.

“Well of course,” he answered with a smirk and mischievous glint in his eyes. “Although it is rather challenging to find a cleaner who will take out blood stains without asking any bizarre questions.”

“You should go to _my_ personal cleaners,” Kol suddenly announced, grinning as he came to stand between Bonnie and I. “They don’t ask a thing. Granted, they’re probably too stunned by my charming good looks to even form a sentence.”

“Oh, really?” Bonnie asked, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows at him. “That’s weird, because I could form many colorful sentences while also giving you an obscene hand gesture.”

Klaus raised his eyebrows in amusement and I bit my lip to keep from laughing, but Kol’s smile only widened. “Ooh, someone is feeling rather feisty tonight! I love it,” he purred, looking over her form hungrily.

Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest and lifted her chin defiantly. “I’m always feisty. And what’s a thousand year old vampire doing at a high school prom, anyway? Did you really get _that_ bored?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“I grow bored quite often, little witch, but my boredom always seems to vanish when you’re nearby,” he answered with a flirty smile.

Bonnie raised an eyebrow. “Is that supposed to impress me?”

“I don’t know, did it work?”

“Kol,” Lexi warned as she came up behind him. “Stop harassing the poor girl. Any more flirting from you and she’ll have no energy left.”

Kol smirked. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Oh I know you will,” Lexi answered, rolling her eyes and nudging him playfully.

“Not to sound like a party pooper,” Stefan interrupted, walking towards us and glancing at my arm that was looped through Klaus’s, “But how are we going to know if _the evil uninvited guest of the_ _evening_ is here?”

“Oh, we’ll know,” Klaus assured him with a hard look. “If previous encounters tell anything about his character, I’d say he likes to make quite a scene.”

“Right,” Bonnie sighed. “In the meantime, let’s just act natural.”

“Great!” Kol exclaimed with a smile, holding his hand out to Bonnie. “Then we should probably dance.”

“That’s not natural,” Bonnie said with a grimace. “And neither are you.”

“You’re right,” Kol answered, smiling devilishly as he leaned towards her ear. “I’m _supernatural_.”

Bonnie tried to hold back her smile but Kol grinned widely as he led her to the dance floor.

“Shall we join them?” Klaus asked, rubbing his thumb across my bare arm.

I glanced at his hand and then gave him a doubting look. “I’m too smart to be seduced by you.”

He smiled wickedly. “I would certainly hope so, love.”

And then I was being spun gracefully by hands that had massacred thousands but held me with the gentleness of someone in love.

Hey, it’s _prom_ , I’m allowed to get a little cheesy!

* * *

 

Less than two minutes later, Kol had already irritated Bonnie so badly that she shoved away his hands and walked outside, threatening to give him an aneurism if he followed her. I saw Stefan let out a sigh and hand Lexi a twenty dollar bill as she laughed and said “I told you so.”

“Well that’s not good,” Klaus said worriedly as he watched Kol’s frustrated expression.

I gave him a questioning look. “Since when do you care about your brother’s love life?”

“I don’t,” he answered, pausing as the song changed. “I’m just acutely aware of the danger that’s present when Kol becomes bored.”

I rolled my eyes and glanced at Kol. “Maybe we should find a way to preoccupy him,” I suggested.

Before Klaus could answer, I saw Kol’s eyes widen and his expression become alarmed. My body tensed and Klaus felt it, causing him to pull me tight against his chest and search the room frantically.

“What is it?” Klaus asked.

A shiver ran up my spine.

“Bonnie,” I whispered just as Kol broke into a run towards the exit. I pulled away from Klaus and lifted my dress, tugging on his hand as I followed Kol outside. My enhanced hearing instantly picked up on the sound of Bonnie yelling at someone. I dropped Klaus’s hand and raced toward the sound, not caring if anyone saw me using my abilities. My hair began to fall from its up-do and I’m sure I was getting mud on the bottom of my dress. I spotted Klaus and Kol and raced to stand beside them. They stared straight ahead through the trees at a clearing a hundred feet in front of us. Bonnie stood in the middle of the clearing beside -

_Jeremy?_

No. It had to be Silas.

“It’s – “

“I know,” Klaus whispered, resting his hand on my shoulder. We all held completely still as we listened to their conversation.

“I can’t do it,” Bonnie urged the person who stood in front of her. “If every supernatural being comes back to life – “

“Then you will have done what I asked and will still be alive,” fake-Jeremy’s voice cut her off.

Bonnie gave him a stubborn glare. “I won’t be alive for long when the world is invaded by billions of ghosts! And neither will my friends!”

Silas suddenly grabbed Bonnie by the throat, lifting her a foot off the ground. I lurched forward, ready to attack, but was held back by Klaus.

“Wait,” Klaus whispered, watching Bonnie curiously.

Reluctantly, I remained still and didn’t make a sound. Glancing over at Kol, I was secretly glad and proud that he was being held back by Klaus’s other arm.

“You won’t have any friends if you don’t do as I say!” Silas growled.

Kol snarled and clawed at Klaus’s arms, fighting against him.

I saw the veins in Bonnie’s neck protruding as she gasped for air. She looked completely helpless and terrified. What if we were wrong about her being more powerful than Silas? What if she couldn’t defeat him?

I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood.

“You are the only Bennet witch left,” Silas informed her roughly. “I need you, therefore I can’t kill you. But there are _many_ ways to hurt you.”

I covered my mouth to hold in a scream. Bonnie stopped squirming though, and glared at Silas.

“Say that again?” she gasped out.

Silas cocked his head at her in confusion. “There are many ways to – “

“No, before that,” she ground out, becoming more angry. Silas didn’t answer. “I’m the only Bennet witch left,” Bonnie stated. “You need me because I’m special.”

Kol struggled against Klaus and murmured, “ _Damn right_ , you are.”

“Yes,” Silas hissed, getting closer to Bonnie’s face.

We were all shocked as we heard Bonnie laugh.

“So what you’re saying,” Bonnie began with a grin, “is that I have two-thousand years of the most powerful witch ancestry on earth pumping through my veins. Right?”

“Right,” Silas ground out.

Bonnie glared at him then, her eyes darkening with a dangerous intensity.

“Then I think you should treat me with a little more respect,” she growled. Silas suddenly released his grip on her neck and fell to his knees, gripping his head and letting out a scream as blood poured from his nose and mouth. Bonnie stood above him. “I will make every organ in your body bleed and every bone _snap_.” Silas let out a cry and fell to the ground as each of his bones broke. “I will drain you of all your blood,” Bonnie said, her hand motioning in the air, causing blood to seep from his eyes, “and I will turn your body into its rightful form: _Stone_.”

Silas gasped and tried to crawl away from her, covering his face desperately with his hands as he began to morph into a different person. With a few more sickening cracks, his entire body turned grey and he stopped moving as he turned to stone.

It was over.

We flashed to Bonnie’s side.

“I’m not trying to make up for earlier, but,” Kol began, giving Bonnie a smirk, “that was the absolute sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Bonnie let out a laugh. “I truly mean it, little witch,” he insisted with a chuckle. “That was undoubtedly the most erotic thing that’s ever happened to that _Silas_ guy! He probably wishes he wasn’t a rock so that you could do it all over again.”

Bonnie snorted and shook her head. “Ok, Mister _I’m so tough_ Original, can you carry him for me?” she asked.

“Carry him? What for? You can probably levitate him to China,” Kol replied, making Bonnie smile again.

Klaus rolled his eyes and looked at me. “And you thought _I_ flirted too much.”

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a review with your thoughts! :)


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